Croatia vs Albania EURO 2024 Group B Matchday 2 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups

Croatia and Albania meet for their second matches of UEFA EURO 2024 in Group B on Wednesday 19 June.

Where to watch Croatia vs Albania on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2024 broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Croatia had high hopes going into their Matchday 1 meeting with Spain but were no match for Luis de la Fuente's team in Berlin, slipping to just their third defeat in their last 13 EURO group stage matches. The importance of Wednesday's game is not lost on coach Zlatko Dalić, who says his side "have to win" at Volksparkstadion to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the third tournament in succession. Their improved second-half showing against the three-time winners certainly gives the Vatreni something to build on.

Albania made a mighty start against Italy, scoring the fastest goal in EURO history before eventually losing 2-1. There were plenty of positives for Sylvinho and his players against the reigning champions but, with Spain coming up in Düsseldorf on Matchday 3, the former Arsenal and Barcelona defender will have earmarked this contest as a must-win fixture. If they fly out of the traps like they did in Dortmund, they might just stand a chance.

Possible line-ups

Croatia: Livaković; Juranović, Šutalo, Gvardiol, Perišić; Modrić, Brozović, Kovačić; Majer, Petković, Kramarić

Albania: Strakosha; Balliu, Ismjali, Gjimsiti, Mitaj; Ramadani, Asllani, Bajrami; Hoxha, Asani, Broja

Form guide

Croatia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWWWDW

Albania:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWWLLD

Expert predictions

Elvir Islamović, Croatia reporter

Dalić and his team were brought back down to earth by Spain on Matchday 1, defeat revealing several issues. Dalić hopes it was just a bad day, but Modrić told me something revealing: "We need to be much better, especially energy-wise." The team ran out of steam and both he and Kovačić were substituted in the 65th minute, an almost unheard-of occurrence. Dalić is ready to make changes, yet he will not be able to work miracles in just a few days. At the very least, he needs to lift the team's spirits because they can no longer afford any mistakes.

Egi Duro, Albania reporter

Defeat against Italy ended Albania's impressive seven-game unbeaten run in competitive matches (W4 D3), but they have not lost hope. They punched above their weight in qualifying, and Nedim Bajrami has been in fine form, contributing two goals and two assists in his last three appearances. If Sylvinho's side can maintain their intensity, stay solid in defence and make the most of the chances that come their way, this is a game they can win.

What the coaches say

Zlatko Dalić, Croatia coach: "We knew that this match would be very important even before the tournament had started. I'm glad that we are positive and not discouraged [after our opening defeat]. The atmosphere is great. The guys are aware that we need to perform better than in the first match. Albania may not be of the same quality as Spain, but they deserve a lot of respect. They are motivated and organised, so we need to be patient and cautious. We know our goal is to win, and we will be more offensive."

Sylvinho, Albania coach: "Our team is 100% fit for tomorrow. We have a training session later, but as it stands, the team is OK. We need to take our chances and do our best. It's a tough group and now we face Croatia, a quality team. They gave a good performance [against Italy], even in losing 3-0. If you see the stats from this match without seeing the result, you wouldn't believe that Croatia lost. But at this level of football, anything can happen."