It’s a crucial Group E Euro 2008 qualifier as Croatia take on Russia on June 6. Croatia just about managed to hang on to the top spot in Group E with a hard fought 1-0 win against lowly Estonia, while Russia was rampant against Andorra scoring 4 goals in a display that is sure to have heartened coach Guus Hiddink.

Aleksandr Kerzhakov was the hero for the Russians scoring a wonderful hat-trick and Hiddink will be hoping his main striker continues in this rich vein of form. Although the Russia coach had chosen goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov and midfielder Viktor Budyanski in his squad following injury to regular keeper Igor Akinfeev, both players were on the substitutes bench and it is unlikely they will come off it for the vital game against Croatia.

Guus Hiddink's side can almost seal a place in the Euro 2008 qualifiers if they defeat Croatia on June 6. However it will not be an easy task for the Croats are an ever improving bunch as they demonstrated in their 1-0 win against Estonia.

Meanwhile Croatia coach Slaven Bilić is beset with an injured squad ahead of the Russia game. It was only a moment of individual brilliance by Brazilian Eduardo da Silva that sealed the Estonia contest in their favor. The NK Dinamo Zagreb player has struck form in the Euro 2008 qualifiers with six goals so far in the campaign.

Eduardo made it very clear before the Estonia game that his aim was to secure the six available points against the Estonia team and then the Russia team. "Our primary goal is to reach Euro 2008 as quickly as possible and we will be very close if we win the next two matches," he had observed. With one game out of the way he will now concentrate on the Russia game, which could be the Group E decider in the long run.

But there are issues on the defensive front. Hajduk Split defender Boris Živković is out with a knee problem and NK Dinamo Zagreb defender Dino Drpić has replaced him in the squad.