Czech Republic and Croatia will meet at Fortuna Arena on Saturday evening, as both teams begin their Nations League campaigns under new head coaches.Santi Denia takes charge of the hosts, while Slaven Bilic begins his second spell with Croatia. England and Spain complete a demanding Group A3.Verdict: Croatia to winBest odds: 6/5Bookmaker: 1xBetCzech RepublicCzech Republic has plenty to put right after a disappointing World Cup.They lost 2-1 to South Korea, drew 1-1 with South Africa and finished with a 3-0 defeat against Mexico. One point and two goals from three matches left them out of the tournament at the group stage.Denia now has to improve those performances while dealing with considerable changes to the squad. Several established players have stepped away from international football, and Tomas Soucek’s injury removes another experienced figure from the midfield.That makes the opening game a difficult assignment. Croatia can keep possession for long periods, and the Czechs need a way to get up the field without leaving their defenders exposed whenever they lose the ball.Tomas Chory could provide an outlet for longer passes, with Pavel Sulc and Adam Hlozek looking to collect the second ball. That would give the hosts a route toward goal without asking a new midfield combination to play through Croatia on every attack.There is some encouragement in the most recent meeting. Czech Republic held Croatia to a 0-0 draw in Prague last October, having lost 5-1 in Osijek earlier in the qualifying campaign.The hosts will need that defensive discipline again. If their forwards become isolated and Croatia keeps winning the ball back, the pressure around the Czech penalty area should grow.Czech Republic Team NewsSoucek is unavailable through injury. Patrik Schick and Vaclav Cerny are also absent after ending their international careers following the World Cup.Those changes leave more responsibility with Hlozek, Sulc and Chory in attack. Denia has also called up potential debutants Lukas Ambros, Roman Macek and Matej Radosta.Matej Kovar should be a strong candidate to start in goal, with Robin Hranac and Ladislav Krejci offering experience in central defense. Vladimir Coufal is available on the right.Michal Sadilek, Lukas Cerv and Alex Kral are among the options in midfield. Their positioning will be important because the hosts cannot allow Croatia’s midfielders to receive the ball freely in front of the defense.CroatiaCroatia also enters this competition after a World Cup that fell short of recent expectations.They recovered from a 4-2 defeat against England by beating Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1, but a 2-1 loss to Portugal ended their tournament in the round of 32.Scoring in all four matches was a positive. Keeping only one clean sheet gives Bilic an obvious area to address, particularly when the opposition attacks quickly after winning possession.The visitors still have a more familiar midfield to work with than their opponents. Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic can help Croatia play through pressure, while Petar Sucic and Martin Baturina offer options around them.That could decide this match. If Croatia moves the ball past the first line of pressure, the Czech midfield must retreat toward its own box, giving the visitors time to bring their wide players forward.Bilic has said that Croatia is best suited to a back four, so there should be some continuity despite the coaching change.Croatia should still respect the hosts’ threat from crosses and second balls. The away win depends on controlling those moments as well as making the most of the extra quality in midfield.Croatia Team NewsModric remains part of the squad. Bilic has explained that the captain’s workload will be managed across the four matches in this international window, so he is unlikely to play every game.Dominik Livakovic, Dominik Kotarski and Ivor Pandur are the goalkeeping options.Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo and Josko Gvardiol are among the main defensive options. Luka Vuskovic and Martin Erlic give Bilic further choices in the middle.Kovacic and Petar Sucic should be involved in midfield, while Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric and Ante Budimir offer experience in attack.Baturina can move inside from a wider position, which could give Croatia another passing option when the Czech midfield tries to close down Modric.Czech Republic vs Croatia key factors to considerCzech Republic collected one point from three World Cup matches.The Czechs scored twice and conceded six goals at the tournament.Soucek is injured, while Schick and Cerny have retired from international football.Croatia scored in all four of its World Cup matches.Croatia beat Czech Republic 5-1 at home in June 2025.Their most recent meeting ended 0-0 in Prague.Both teams are playing their first match under a new head coach.ConclusionCzech Republic has home advantage, but Denia is taking over at a difficult moment. Losing important players in both midfield and attack makes it harder to expect an immediate improvement against this opposition.Croatia has defensive work to do, and last year’s goalless meeting shows how awkward this trip can become. Even so, the visitors have more established combinations and several ways to create chances around the penalty area.If Modric and Kovacic can keep the hosts chasing possession, Croatia should get enough opportunities to start the campaign with three points.Croatia to win is the best selection.Verdict: Croatia to winBest odds: 6/5Bookmaker: 1xBetThe post Prediction: Czech Republic vs Croatia appeared first on SoccerNews.