Germany vs Croatia Live Stream & Predictions – Croatia Underestimated at the European Championship Semifinal

Vedran Ostojic

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Last updated: Thu 29 Jan 2026 18:56

Vedran Ostojic 29 Jan 2026

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Croatia have improved drastically since the group phase
We are backing them to put up a fight against Germany
Watch Germany vs Croatia at the European Championship semifinal

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Watch Germany vs Croatia Live (Getty Images)

Match Preview

Croatia feel underestimated heading into this semifinal. They are the only team to win all four Main Round games in their group, while Germany had a few shaky moments and produced just one truly dominant performance, against France. I am backing the Cowboys to make this semifinal competitive and to cover a +2.5 handicap.

Match Preview
Germany Finding Rhythm Late
Croatia Growing Stronger With Each Match

Germany Finding Rhythm Late

Germany encountered plenty of problems in the group phase, suffering a surprise 30-27 loss to Serbia before recovering in the decisive match by beating Spain 34-32 to carry points into the Main Round.

They opened the second phase with two solid performances, edging Portugal 32-30 and Norway 30-28, before recording their only Main Round defeat against reigning world champions Denmark 31-26.

In the semifinal-deciding clash, the Germans were at their best, controlling proceedings from start to finish against France and claiming a well-deserved 38-34 victory to secure second place. Juri Knorr was outstanding, leading the way with 11 goals.

Croatia Growing Stronger With Each Match

Croatia have exceeded expectations at this European Championship, standing out as the only team not to lose a single match in the Main Round.

They advanced to the second phase with zero points after a 33-25 loss to Sweden in the group stages, but quickly found their rhythm by defeating Iceland 30-29, Switzerland 28-24 and Slovenia 29-25 in succession.

The final round clash against Hungary was far from straightforward. Croatia struggled to contain the opposition’s offense early on and went into halftime two goals down, but goalkeeper Kuzmanovic produced a series of crucial saves after the break, turning the momentum and pushing the Cowboys to a 27-25 victory.

Verdict

Germany v Croatia

Croatia have grown significantly since their only defeat of the tournament against Sweden and have conquered every opponent they faced in the Main Round. Germany’s path to the semifinal was less convincing overall, and I don’t see them as clear favorites here. Backing Croatia to cover a +2.5 handicap looks like strong value.

Croatia +2.5

Asian Handicap

@9/10 - 2 Units

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Vedran is a passionate sports enthusiast and covers European football, basketball, volleyball and handball.

With a particular love for the English Premier League, he's been writing about sports online for more than a decade since completing a degree in literature and sports journalism.

The primary areas of focus include top European football leagues (mainly EPL, La Liga, Serie A & Bundesliga), basketball (EuroLeague, NBA & WNBA), Handball and Volleyball.

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