Spain vs Croatia Euro 2024 Prediction: Can two-time winners Spain get off to a winning start?

2023 UEFA Nations League finalists Spain and Croatia renew their rivalry to kickstart their respective Euro 2024 campaign.

Spain vs Croatia Euro 2024 Prediction: Can two-time winners Spain get off to a winning start?

Since Vicente del Bosque’s tenure as coach of the Spanish national team concluded, the team has undergone a series of difficult tournament campaigns. While Luis Enrique, his eventual successor, led the team to a semi-final appearance in the previous Euros tournament, their exit from the Qatar 2022 tournament was swift and underwhelming. However, their current coach, Luis de la Fuente, has breathed new life into Spanish football by securing a victory in the Nations League.

Despite this, the draw for this summer’s tournament has presented a challenging road ahead, with strong competitors like Croatia, whom Spain defeated to win the missing UEFA prize from their collection, and Italy, who eliminated them from Euro 2020 on their way to winning the tournament. Zlatko Dalić has successfully transformed Croatia into a credible tournament challenger. In that aforementioned Nations League final, Croatia was able to frustrate Spain, ultimately losing in a penalty shootout.

Putting any recent struggles aside, Spain’s attacking prowess, led by a resurgent Alvaro Morata and a team of clever playmakers, is still formidable. A narrow scoreline of 2-1 in favour of Spain seems likely, demonstrating their dominance as pre-tournament favourites and highlighting the need to improve as a complete defensive unit.

We’ll also have more tips here closer to the time, so check back closer to kick-off for our best tips and predictions.

The showdown between Spain and Croatia occurs on June 15 at Olympiastadion, Berlin.

Spain topped Group A in the qualifying campaign with one loss. The only frustrating result they faced was on matchday two, when Scotland won 2-0. Although Spain did get their revenge when they recorded their own 2-0 victory. The current Spanish team is not as experienced as their previous teams, with only two players (Jesús Navas and Morata) having more than 50 caps. However, they have an exciting crop of young players, including Lamine Yamal, who could make a difference in the upcoming matches.

Croatia finished second in Group D, one point behind the eventual winners Turkey. They suffered two losses, one at home and one on the road at Wales. However, they did have the group’s leading scorer, Andrej Kramarić, who scored four goals.

Both teams know that the best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stages. If there is to be a losing team, they will remain optimistic, as there’s still a chance to advance.

As mentioned, the Spanish national team has had some setbacks in preparing for upcoming matches. They are currently on a two-game streak without a win. They surprisingly lost to Colombia at West Ham’s stadium, followed by an exciting 3-3 draw against Brazil in Madrid. During their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, Gavi, a highly promising player, suffered an ACL injury while playing against Georgia. This injury may force him to miss the forthcoming finals. Despite this, Manchester City’s Rodri remains Spain’s most valuable player. Dani Carvajal and Aymeric Laporte are valuable assets in defence, and Unai Simón is expected to remain Spain’s number-one goalkeeper. Spain’s success in their opening match could depend on how well they control the midfield, as Croatia boasts strong players here.

By contrast, Croatia’s expected squad includes several experienced players. In their most recent outing, seven had more than 50 caps. Among those players are midfielders Luka Modrić, Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić with Kramarić, expected to lead their line, another notable name. Modrić, who turns 39 later this year, will again be tasked with dictating Croatia’s game. He should receive plenty of help, and with the likes of Joško Gvardiol backing him up, they should give Spain a formidable contest.

This will be their 11th meeting and third at the European Championship, with Spain holding a 6-3 head-to-head record. That most recent contest ended goalless in Rotterdam with the Nations League title on the line. Spain went near perfect in the penalty shootout, with Aymeric Laporte missing his attempt. However, Lovro Majer and Bruno Petković couldn’t shoot theirs past Unai Simón, who saved on both occasions.

This showdown will be live on ITV1 or STV, as well as online on ITVX or STV Player.

Every Euro 2024 game will be shown live on either BBC or ITV, with the two platforms sharing the broadcast rights.