Montenegro vs Croatia Prediction and Betting Tips for the UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, scheduled for Monday, November 17, 2025, at 19:45 GMT. The match will take place at the Podgorica City Stadium and will be broadcast live on DAZN and Discovery+. Montenegro enter the final group stage game hoping to close their campaign with a statement result against the group leaders. Croatia, already qualified, are eyeing a clean finish to an almost flawless run. For a deeper breakdown of form, trends, and team metrics, you can explore Soccer Stats to support your analysis.

• Croatia remain unbeaten in the group with six wins and one draw.
• Montenegro have won two of their three home qualifiers at Podgorica City Stadium.
• The reverse fixture ended 4–0 in Croatia’s favor back in September.
• Croatia have conceded just two goals in seven qualifying games.

Montenegro’s campaign has been a rollercoaster, flashes of promise mixed with defensive lapses. Sitting fourth with nine points, they’ve managed to impress at home but faltered away. Their 2-1 comeback win over Gibraltar on Friday showed a bit of fight, maybe even pride, but also exposed their ongoing struggle to control matches for 90 minutes. Mirko Vucinic’s men have looked stronger on home turf, winning two of three qualifiers in Podgorica. Still, with a goal difference of minus eight and only six goals scored, it’s hard to see them stopping Croatia’s rhythm. Can they really spoil the visitors’ unbeaten streak? It feels like a long shot, but in football, you never say never.

On the other side, Croatia have been ruthless and calculated. Zlatko Dalic’s squad has sealed qualification with 19 points out of 21, showing the kind of efficiency you’d expect from a team that finished third in Qatar 2022. Their recent 3–1 victory over the Faroe Islands summed up their campaign: dominant but never complacent. They’ve scored 23 and conceded just two, an absurdly good ratio that says a lot about their structure. Luka Modric, still commanding the midfield at 40, continues to pull the strings like time simply forgot him. It’s hard not to admire the consistency Croatia have built over the years.

That said, Dalic might rotate slightly, with qualification already secured. Expect the likes of Kramaric and Musa to start up front again, while Mario Pasalic could get another chance to impress. Their bench depth is enviable and that’s often the difference in fixtures like this. Even with a few changes, Croatia’s cohesion rarely dips. Montenegro’s forwards, Krstovic and Osmajic, will need to work overtime to find gaps in a defense that’s barely budged all campaign. It’s a tall order, but stranger things have happened in football.

This feels like a clash of different missions: one side playing for pride, the other for perfection. Montenegro will fight for a positive send-off in front of their fans; Croatia will simply want to maintain momentum. The last time they met, Croatia cruised to a 4–0 win and that gulf still looks real. Unless Montenegro find something extraordinary, the visitors are likely to control the tempo and limit chances. All signs point to a tactical, measured game rather than an open shootout, which is exactly why analyzing with Soccer Stats before betting makes all the difference.