Croatia vs. Scotland | UEFA Nations League | Pre Match

Seeking an end to their long winless streak, Scotland face a tough trip to Zagreb on Saturday, when they tackle UEFA Nations League rivals Croatia.

Steve Clarke's side have lost both of their League A Group 1 matches so far, while their hosts have three points on the board and are still eyeing a place in the knockout phase.

Last month, Croatia began their quest to go one step further in this season's Nations League than in 2023 - when they were beaten by Spain in the final - but they kicked off with a 2-1 defeat in Portugal.

Having previously exited Euro 2024 at the group stage, the Vatreni were keen to prove they are still a force to be reckoned with, and a subsequent victory over Poland ended their wait for a win.

Captain Luka Modric scored a stunning free kick to separate the sides in Osijek, moving his team up to second place in the Group 1 standings.

While long-serving coach Zlatko Dalic is faced with the task of phasing in fresh faces and replacing fading veterans, his team are still hoping to secure some elusive silverware - and the Nations League surely represents their best shot.

Even second place in each League A group will secure a spot in the quarter-finals, so Croatia merely need to keep their noses in front of Poland and Scotland between now and November.

Past results certainly suggest they can do so: in addition to winning six of their last eight Nations League matches, they have also won their last three home games across all competitions - each without conceding a goal.

Saturday's clash at Stadion Maksimir will mark the first meeting between Croatia and Scotland since Euro 2020, when the Vatreni won 3-1 in Glasgow to eliminate their hosts from the tournament.

That was a particularly painful defeat to swallow at Hampden Park, but the Scots are one of very few teams to have left Croatia unscathed on more than one occasion: they emerged unbeaten from two previous visits, drawing 1-1 in October 2000 and winning 1-0 in June 2013.

Current coach Steve Clarke would gladly accept a repeat of either result this weekend, as his ailing side are winless in eight competitive matches - the longest streak in Scottish football history - and have won just one of their last 14 outings overall, against Gibraltar in a friendly.

Since the Scots were promoted to the Nations League's top tier last time around, they have endured a significant period of struggle, tamely exiting Euro 2024 before losing twice in September.

Both defeats promised better, but after fighting back to 2-2 in their opener against Poland they conceded a penalty in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time; then, a late strike from international football's goalscorer supreme denied them a point in Portugal.

After in-form midfielder Scott McTominay had put Clarke's men in front at Estadio da Luz, Cristiano Ronaldo's 88th-minute winner sealed the Selecao's comeback and left Scotland rock bottom of the table.

As third-placed teams will have to negotiate a relegation playoff, while finishing last results in automatic relegation, they are now scraping against the odds to survive in League A: after a tricky trip to Zagreb, the Scots must meet Portugal at Hampden three days later.