Spain vs Croatia Preview & Prediction | UEFA EURO 2024 | Group Stage
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In Group B, which is widely being viewed as this year’s ‘group of death’, proceedings get underway at the Olympiastadion in Berlin as Spain face Croatia with both sides looking to ease themselves into the tournament.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 15th June, 2024 - UK – 5:00pm / US EST – 10:00am / US PST – 9:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – ITV / US – FOX
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – ITVX / US – VIX
SPAIN PREVIEW: DIRECT FLUENCY
The 1964, 2008 and 2012 European champions Spain head into 2024 with a squad that is very, very different in terms of the standard of personnel from their dominance of around a decade go but La Furia Roja, adapting to a more direct style of football under Luis de la Fuente after Luis Enrique, remain one of the leading contenders.
Luis de la Fuente’s reign began quite slowly but has majorly picked up in the last 12 months, including winning the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. They come into this one on the back of back-to-back hammerings of fairly weak opposition in their warm-ups, beating Andorra by five goals to nil and then beating Northern Ireland 5-1.
CROATIA PREVIEW: AN EXPERIENCED SQUAD
Zlatko Dalic, who led Croatia to the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, remains in charge of what is quite a familiar Croat squad as we head into UEFA EURO 2024. Captained by the evergreen Luka Modric, supported by the likes of Domagoj Vida, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic; they will always be a threat.
There are, though, younger players that helped them a lot at the previous FIFA World Cup, such as Josko Gvardiol and Josip Stanisic. They have been drawn into the ‘group of death’ alongside Spain, Italy and Albania but will themselves be feared – even more so after a 2-1 defeat of Portugal last week means they are now unbeaten in six matches since October.
SPAIN TEAM NEWS: YOUNG, VIBRANT ATTACK
Luis de la Fuente will be playing the traditional Spanish 4-3-3 system but with a twist as it is not necessarily all about possession but a little more direct with crosses into the box for captain Alvaro Morata to feed on the biggest weapon. The wide players are therefore key but the biggest question marks but it does seem as though 16-year-old Lamine Yamal will get the nod alongside Nico Williams. Aymeric Laporte misses out through injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Le Normand, Alex Grimaldo; Pedri, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams
UNAVAILABLE: Laporte (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Dani Olmo (Injured)
CROATIA TEAM NEWS: A FAMILIAR MIDFIELD
Experienced manager Zlatko Dalic has suggested that the Croats will play a very similar, if not the same, line-up that defeated Portugal last week in their opener against Spain. That means Osasuna forward Ante Budimir keeps his place in the front three alongside Andrej Kramaric and Lovro Majer with Ivan Perisic still not completely fit after recent knee surgery.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Majer, Budimir, Kramaric
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE: Perisic (Injured)
KEY STATS
- This is Spain’s 12th EURO appearance and eighth in succession.
- Spain have lost only one of their last 12 EURO group stage matches (W8 D3).
- Spain have lost their opening match in only one of their previous 11 EURO appearances (W5 D5) – the sole defeat was against Norway at EURO 2000 (L 1-0).
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain have lost only two of their last 22 EURO matches (W13 D7).
- This is the fourth successive EURO in which Spain have faced Croatia. The Spanish won 1-0 in the group stage in 2012, Croatia recorded a 2-1 victory at the same stage of the tournament in 2016 and most recently Spain were victorious in a thrilling round of 16 tie at EURO 2020 which finished 5-3 after extra-time.
- Spain have won seven and drawn one of their last eight competitive matches.
- Spain have kept six clean sheets in their last eight EURO group stage matches.
- Spain have only failed to score in one of their last 12 EURO group stage matches.
- This is Croatia’s sixth successive EURO appearance, since making their debut in 1996 they have only missed the 2000 finals.
- Croatia have lost only two of their last 12 EURO group stage matches (W7 D3).
- Croatia have only failed to score in two of their last 14 EURO group stage matches.
- Only one of Croatia’s previous 22 EURO matches has finished without a goal being scored. That was a 0-0 draw against Switzerland in their opening match at EURO 2004.
- Croatia have lost their first match in only one of their previous six EURO appearance (W5 D1). The only defeat being their 1-0 loss against England in their EURO 2020 opening fixture.
- Croatia have kept only one clean sheet in their last 12 EURO matches.
SPAIN VS CROATIA PREDICTION
As they were under Luis Enrique, Spain are very pretty and very strong between both boxes but the central defensive partnership of Robin Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte as well as the tendency to be profligate of captain Alvaro Morata does leave the Spanish a little tough to call. They have racked up quite a few goals in recent matches but up against the wily experience of Croatia and their strong defence, this one has the potential to be a classic early tournament game in which the two sides cancel each other out.
SPAIN VS CROATIA TIP: UNDER 3.5 GOALS
