Croatia v Italy background

Croatia can extend their two-point advantage over Italy at the top of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group H when the sides meet in Split.

Previous meetings
• Croatia's eight games against Italy have ended W3 D4 L1 (W0 D2 L0 in Croatia), with two of those matches at final tournaments: the 1-1 draw at UEFA EURO 2012 and a 2-1 win for Croatia at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Ibaraki, Japan.

• The sides drew 1-1 in Milan in their first Group H encounter on 16 November, Ivan Perišić (15) cancelling out Antonio Candreva's opener (11). Italy are now without a victory in seven games against Croatia since a 4-0 success in their first encounter, on 5 April 1942.

Form guide
• Both teams are unbeaten in Group H: Croatia's record is W4 D1, while Italy's is W3 D2.

• Croatia have as yet recorded only one victory at the Stadion Poljud in Split – 2-1 against Georgia in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying; their previous nine games at the arena ended D6 L3 – one of those draws a 1-1 result against Italy in EURO '96 qualifying.

• Italy are unbeaten in eight games since exiting the 2014 World Cup at the group stage (W5 D3); in the same period, Croatia's record is W6 D1 L1, their lone reverse a 2-1 home defeat by Argentina in a friendly last November.

• Italy have not lost in 45 UEFA European Championship and World Cup qualifiers (W33 D12) since losing 3-1 in France in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying on 6 September 2006.

Trivia and links
• A number of Croatia players are Serie A regulars, meaning club-mates could meet:
- Marcelo Brozović (Croatia) played on loan this season at FC Internazionale Milano with Andrea Ranocchia (Italy).
- Šime Vrsaljko (Croatia), Francesco Acerbi and Nicola Sansone (Italy) play together at US Sassuolo Calcio.
- Milan Badelj (Croatia) and Manuel Pasqual (Italy) play together at ACF Fiorentina.

• Croatia assistant coach Robert Kovač – brother of coach Niko Kovač – played in Italy with Juventus from 2005 to 2007; Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was a team-mate in Turin.

• Italy have had the better of their 14 meetings with Croatia in UEFA's youth and age-limit competitions: W7 D5 L2, though Croatia edged the most recent last month, sealing a spot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup via a play-off.

• Results between Serie A teams and Croatian outfits in UEFA club competitions have been less one-sided than might be expected; the Italian clubs' record is W16 D10 L5. Those do not include ten encounters in the non-UEFA-affiliated Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in which the Italian clubs' record was W5 D4 L1.