2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship – Spain vs Croatia Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Spain vs Croatia taking place? Monday 31st May, 2021 – 17:00 (UK)
Where is Spain vs Croatia taking place? Ljudski vrt, Maribor
Where can I get tickets for Spain vs Croatia? Click here for the latest ticket information
What television channel is Spain vs Croatia on? Sky Sports
Where can I stream Spain vs Croatia? Sky subscribers can be streamed live via Sky Go
THE KEY STATS
- Spain have won five of their previous seven U21 EURO matches against Croatia W5 D1 L1 (includes qualifying)
- Spain have won 15 and drawn two of their last 17 U21 EURO matches (includes qualifying). Their last defeat was on MD1 at the 2019 finals vs Italy (L 3-1)
- Spain have won 13 of their last 15 EURO final knockout phase round matches
- Spain have won 20 of their last 24 EURO final tournament matches
- Spain have only failed to score in one of their last 15 EURO final knockout phase round matches
- Spain have kept a total of 12 clean sheets in their last 13 U21 EURO matches (includes qualifying). The only goal they conceded in this sequence was from the penalty spot
- Spain have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 17 U21 EURO matches (includes qualifying). The last time they conceded more than once was at the 2019 finals vs Italy (L 3-1)
- Each of Spain’s five goals at the 2021 finals have been scored in the second half
- This is Croatia’s first ever U21 EURO final tournament knockout stage match
- Croatia won 3-0 when they last faced Spain in a U21 EURO match (W 3-0 in Spain in the qualifying tournament for the 2017 finals)
- Croatia held Spain to a 0-0 draw when the two nations met in the group stage at the finals in 2000 – that is their only previous final tournament meeting
- Croatia have won only one of their previous 12 U21 EURO final tournament matches (W1 D3 L8)
- Croatia have conceded at least one goal in 11 of their previous 12 U21 EURO final tournament matches
THE PREDICTION
The reigning champions Spain continue to have success at youth team level and have reached the knockout stages once more despite the general quality and emergence of stars in Spanish football coming to some sort of a halt at the moment. It is very rare that a Spanish under-21 squad doesn’t feature a fully capped player but that is the case here - partly due to the senior team obviously prioritising the Euros as well as the lack of outright quality in this current Spanish squad. They come up against a Croatia team that squeezed through the group stages with a 91st minute goal against England to lose 2-1 and progress on goal difference. So, despite Spain’s potential inadequacies, they will come into this as the favourites.
