There’s just no stopping Spain right now. The two-time defending champions booked their place in the last 16 of the European Championship with a masterful display against Turkey in Nice on Friday. Vicente Del Bosque’s men will look to grab maximum points and secure top spot in Group D when they lock horns with Croatia in a mouth-watering showdown at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux this coming Tuesday.
Who will emerge victorious in this pivotal matchup? Read on below for a complete preview of this blockbuster clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of Czech Republic vs. Turkey.
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Spain’s quest for a third consecutive European title is off to an excellent start after beating Turkey, 3-0, at Allianz Riviera on Friday. Alvaro Morata and Nolito scored the winning goals for the two-time defending champions who remained top of Group D with six points to their name. It was a terrific performance by Spain who are now unbeaten in their past 14 Euro finals games.
They will look to tighten their grip of the top spot when they face Croatia this coming Tuesday. For Spain to record another victory and sweep Group D, it’s paramount that they control the ball again against the Croatians. The Spaniards were able to control 61 percent of the possession in the match against Turkey. That helped Spain establish a 18-8 edge in shot attempts and a 6-0 advantage in the shots on target department against the Turks.
The Spaniards are expected to unleash their vaunted passing game against Croatia. Spain completed 628 of their 674 passes against Turkey for an exceptional 93 percent passing accuracy. Spain will fancy their chances of beating Croatia as they have fared extremely well against them of late. They are unbeaten in their last four matches against Croatia. Spain defeated Croatia, 1-0, in their last meeting in the European Championship back in 2012.
Spain is pegged at -148to score first in this match.
Talk about an extraordinary finish. Croatia squandered a late two-goal lead against the Czech Republic as they were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw on Friday. It was a disappointing result for Croatia who are now in second place in Group D with four points to their name. A victory would have put Croatia through to the knockout stages but they were left with work to do to get out of their group after imploding in the final moments of their match against the Czechs.
Milan Skoda and Tomas Necid scored in the final 15 minutes to break Croatia’s hearts. Croatia’s ill-disciplined display late on mirrored those of their own supporters who caused ugly scenes with their flare-throwing antics on the Saint-Etienne pitch. They can ill afford that same kind of performance against a Spanish side that hasn’t conceded a single goal in their last 690 minutes at the European Championship, the longest run in the tournament’s history.
Dissecting that Spanish backline will be a tough task, though, with star Luka Modric a major doubt for Tuesday’s game because of a thigh injury. His second-half departure against the Czech Republic was the main reason behind Croatia’s late collapse. That being said, the onus is on Ivan Rakitic to provide the spark for the Croatian attack. The Barcelona midfielder has scored 12 goals in 78 international appearances for Croatia.
More than their offense, though, it’s vital for Croatia that they put the clamps on midfield maestro Andres Iniesta. The Spanish star was sensational in the win against Turkey with Iniesta making more passes (78) in the opposition half than any other player in that contest. He recorded a match-high 99 passes in that game. That’s a major problem for a Croatia defense that has surrendered just four total goals over their past nine contests.
The Croatians are unbeaten in their last nine matches. They are pegged at +178to score first in this match.
Writer’s Prediction
Spain (-118) completes the Group D sweep with an easy 2-0 win over Croatia.
