First Marquee Matchup of Euro 2024

Spain vs Croatia Expert Pick, Match Preview and Odds

Rematch of 2023 Nations League Final

Last year, it took penalties to separate Spain and Croatia in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Final. Now, the two sides will meet in their Euro 2024 Group B opener. This will be the fourth straight Euro where Spain take on Croatia.The European giants are in a challenging group, which also includes defending champions Italy and Albania. So, getting a result is massive for both teams here. Stay tuned for our match preview and Spain vs Croatia Expert Pick.

ESPSpain vs Croatia Game Info CRO

Game: Spain vs Croatia
Location: Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
Date & Time: Saturday, June 15th, 12:00 p.m. ET

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Spain vs Croatia Head-to-Head:

When Spain met Croatia in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Final, the match finished scoreless after 120 minutes. Spain ended up winning 5-4 on a penalty shootout. When these sides faced off in the Euro 2020 Round of 16, it was one of the most entertaining UEFA Euro games of recent memory. Spain went up 3-1 and Croatia mounted a late comeback to force extra time.

In extra time, Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal scored as Spain won 5-3. Croatia defeated Spain 2-1 in the Euro 2016 Group Stage, while Spain took down Croatia 1-0 at Euro 2012. In the last five meetings, in all competitions, Spain are 3-1-1. However, our Spain vs Croatia Expert Pick will take into account that two of those Spain wins were 90 minute draws.

Well-Rounded Spain Favorites to Win Group B

Spain have lost just two of their last 22 matches at European Championships. At Euro 2020, La Furia Roja reached the Semifinals before falling in penalties to Italy.

  • This time around the Spain odds list them as -125 favorites to win Group B and at +750 to win Euro 2024.

One of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament, it would come as a shock if Spain are unable to reach the Knockout Stage, especially since the four highest-ranked third place teams will advance.

Alvaro Morata and Real Madrid Champions League hero Joselu led Spain in Euro qualifiers with four goals apiece. Spain went 7-1 and cruised to a Group A victory as Gavi and Dani Carvajal were the only Spanish players to appear in every match. While Carvajal, who scored the winning goal in the UCL Final, should start at right back, Gavi is out of the squad injured.

His Barcelona teammate Pedri is healthy, though, and he won the Euro 2020 Best Young Player Award. Rodri plays the same role for Spain as he does for his club, Manchester City. The defensive midfielder is what makes Spain tick and he is certainly on the shortlist for Player of the Tournament. Meanwhile, Nico Williams and 16-year old wonderkid Lamine Yamal should provide creativity on the wings.

Spain have what it takes to go far and all of their focus will be on getting a result on Saturday.

Mistake to Write Croatia Off

As long as Luka Modric continues to defy father time, Croatia have the potential to make deep runs at major tournaments. Modric, now 38 years old, is still an excellent midfielder and Croatia will rely on him much more than Real Madrid do. In their last warm up match before the start of Euro 2024, Croatia defeated Portugal 2-1 and it’s a reminder of their potential.

Anyone writing Croatia off because they’re in a group with Spain and Italy is making a major mistake. Yes, they finished behind Turkey in the Group D UEFA Euro standings in qualifiers. Still, Zlatko Dalic coached this group to a third place finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and almost all of those players are still around.

Since then, Josko Gvardiol has emerged as one of the world’s best young defenders and the Manchester City man will be key here. Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic will still make up Croatia’s midfield three and Dominik Livakovic is a big presence in goal.

If Croatia are to go far, they’ll need their forwards to step up. Andrej Kramaric and Ante Budimir have never shone on the big stage but the talent is certainly there. Nikola Vlasic, Bruno Petkovic, Ivan Perisic and Mario Pasalic are all capable of making contributions off the bench as well.

Spain vs Croatia Match Analysis & Odds

Since losing to Scotland in March 2023, Spain have lost just one of their last 12 games. Meanwhile, Croatia are unbeaten in 2024 and they’ll undoubtedly feel they can at least grab a point from this match. This one could have the feel of a knockout stage game and we don’t expect either side to come out taking many risks.

  • La Furia Roja are -110 favorites for Saturday’s match, while Croatia are +330 underdogs and the best price on a draw is +245.
  • Neither side was able to find a breakthrough in 120 minutes of action when they met last year. Good chances may come at a premium in this match and under 2.5 goals currently sits at -140, while the over is priced at +110.
  • Meanwhile, Croatia +0.5 comes in at -105 odds as they’re unbeaten in their last three 90 minute matches vs Spain.

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