Euro 2024 Qualifier Predictions For Matchday 1

Scotland come into their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign looking for a fast start with goals and a win much-needed after missing out on a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With Spain and Norway also in their group, Scotland know they need to beat smaller teams like Cyprus and Georgia if they are to make it to Euro 2024. 

For Cyprus, this is one of their more winnable away games. They will also face Georgia in their campaign, but they know that things only get more difficult from there. A win in their opening match would be huge, but they are still a few levels below Scotland. 

Scotland lost their last match 2-1 to Turkey in a friendly, while they edged to a 0-0 draw against Ukraine last September to secure top-spot in their Nations League group. Meanwhile, Cyprus have not won a competitive fixture since 2019, and they are fancied to be well-beaten by Scotland. 

Spain are looking to get back to winning ways straight away after being eliminated from the 2022 World Cup by Morocco on penalties. Their inability to score goals eventually came back to hurt them as the seven unanswered goals they scored against Costa Rica was followed by a 1-1 draw with Germany, a 2-1 loss to Japan and a defeat to Morocco on penalties after the game ended 0-0. Goals are clearly tough to come by for Spain right now, and they need to find a way to turn possession football into goals. 

All eyes will be on Norway's Erlin Haaland, with the forward looking to take his form with Manchester City onto the international stage. Norway missed out on the 2022 World Cup and had to watch on from home. They will be determined to ensure they have some say in Euro 2024 by finishing in the top-two in their qualifying group. 

Four of Spain's five wins over Norway have come at home, but they have to find a way to silence Haaland, who has scored eight goals in his last two matches. Despite his form, Spain are big favourites. 

Croatia were brilliant at the 2022 World Cup, but this felt like it signaled the end of an era for their talisman Luka Modric. Modric is still playing for the national side but, at 37-years-old, even he cannot stop the inexorability of time. He will hope he can play at Euro 2024, and if he continues playing at the level we saw in Qatar, there is no reason why he can't stretch his career out to one final major tournament. However, Croatia will likely need to put into place plans to mark his successor at some point. 

For Wales, this is all about trying to move on from the retirement of Welsh legends Gareth Bale and Joe Allen. The pair have proved to be the foundations for a much-improved run in recent years for the Welsh, and they now have to move forward without the pair. 

Croatia have not ever lost to Wales, winning four and drawing two of their meetings. As the supposed third-best team in world after finishing in third at the World Cup, Croatia will want to put in a performance of real quality to underline their Euro 2024 hopes.