Spain will open their Euro 2024 campaign with a huge game against Croatia in Group B at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
SPN vs CRO Match Details
Date: Saturday, 15 June 2024
Time: 18:00 (CET), 21:30 (IST)
Venue: Olympiastadion, Berlin
SPN vs CRO Match Preview
Joint record winners, Spain will want to taste a major tournament success for the first time since the 2012 Euros. Manager Luis de la Fuente hopes to make it possible even not being among the favourites after leading the team to the Nations League triumph last year. While La Roja made it to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, then under Luis Enrique, they were prevented by eventual winners Italy on penalties with their surprise last-16 exit in the hands of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup also fresh in mind. Euro 2024 brings a new sense of optimism with the team staying unbeaten in 11 of the last 12 matches, including topping their qualifying group. Spain has been drawn alongside Italy, Croatia and Albania in a challenging group although they sustain the talent to top it. Fuente’s side will face Croatia in the opener whom they beat 5-3 in the Round of 16 match in Euro 2020 and also in the Nations League final, with six wins overall. Here you can see the Spain Euro 2024 analysis
Croatia experienced another joyous World Cup by finishing third in Qatar although their journey has ended at the last-16 stage in the last two Euros. The focus for the manager Zlatko Dalic will be to improve performance on the continental stage albeit with two huge challenges to face in their group. The Checkered Ones qualified for their sixth straight Euros as an independent nation by coming second to Turkey rather than first in the qualifiers although they have the team for the main event. Facing Spain in their tournament curtain-raiser is tough considering their record of only two wins in this fixture this century. One of those victories came in the Euro 2016 group stage when the Croats beat La Roja 2-1. Carrying a six-game unbeaten run in the tournament with a 2-1 win over Portugal in the last pre-Euro friendly, Croatia will be confident of not only drawing a positive result in the opener but also progressing to the knockouts even as the best third-place side. Here you can check Croatia team analysis for Euro 2024
Recent Form (all competitions)
SPN: LWWDW
CRO: DLLWD
SPN vs CRO Team news
Aymeric Laporte had picked up an injury during training on Thursday so he could be a doubt for Spain’s opener. Likewise, Ivan Perisic could begin from the bench for Croatia having not recovered fully from his knee injury.
SPN vs CRO Predicted Lineups
Spain
Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Grimaldo; Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Morata, Torres
Croatia
Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Brozovic, Kovacic, Modric; Majer, Budimir, Kramaric
SPN vs CRO Head-to-Head
Played: 10
SPN won: 6
Drawn: 1
CRO won: 3
SPN vs CRO Dream11 Match Prediction
Spain and Croatia are expected to engage in another exciting battle with La Roja just edging it with a 2-1 win.
SPN vs CRO Dream11 Top picks
Captain Pick: Alvaro Morata
Vice-captain Pick: Luka Modric
SPN vs CRO Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Livakovic (Cr - 7.5)
DEF: Carvajal (Cr - 8), Laporte (Cr - 8.5), Gvardiol (Cr - 8.5)
MID: Majer (Cr - 7.5), Modric (Cr - 9), Rodri (8.5), Pedri (Cr - 9)
FW: Torres (Cr - 8), Morata (Cr - 9), Kramaric (Cr - 8.5)
Vice-captain: Luka Modric
Captain: Alvaro Morata