Euro 2012: Croatia leader predicts 2-0 win against Italy

Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic has predicted another triumph for the country's national football team, amid national euphoria at the side's opening 3-1 win against the Republic of Ireland.

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"Last time I gave a rather good forecast of the result. This time I would be happy with a 2-0 for Croatia," Josipovic told journalists when asked about his expectations from the match in Poznan, Poland.

Before Sunday's match against Ireland in Gdansk, Josipovic told national HRT television that Croatia would win 3-0. The match eventually ended in a 3-1 victory for Slaven Bilic's side.

Croatia, quarter-finalists in 2008, are currently leading in the group with three points. Spain and Italy are both on one after they drew in their first match, with Ireland yet to get off the mark.

A victory against the Azzurri would go a long way to secure a place in the quarter-finals for the former Yugoslav republic.

National television estimated that some 15,000 Croatian fans were expected in Poznan to support their squad.

After Italy, who come into the tournament on the back of a fresh match-fixing claims surrounding the national leagues, Croatia are taking on defending champions Spain on June 18 in the northern city of Gdansk.