Croatia vs Spain LIVE Score and Commentary, UEFA Euro 2020

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Group A
1	Italy	3	3	0	0	7	0	7	9
2	Wales	3	1	1	1	3	2	1	4
3	Switzerland	3	1	1	1	4	5	-1	4
4	Turkey	3	0	0	3	1	8	-7	0
Group B
1	Belgium	3	3	0	0	7	1	6	9
2	Denmark	3	1	0	2	5	4	1	3
3	Finland	3	1	0	2	1	3	-2	3
4	Russia	3	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3
Group C
1	Netherlands	3	3	0	0	8	2	6	9
2	Austria	3	2	0	1	4	3	1	6
3	Ukraine	3	1	0	2	4	5	-1	3
4	North Macedonia	3	0	0	3	2	8	-6	0
Group D
1	England	3	2	1	0	2	0	2	7
2	Croatia	3	1	1	1	4	3	1	4
3	Czech Republic	3	1	1	1	3	2	1	4
4	Scotland	3	0	1	2	1	5	-4	1
Group E
1	Sweden	3	2	1	0	4	2	2	7
2	Spain	3	1	2	0	6	1	5	5
3	Slovakia	3	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3
4	Poland	3	0	1	2	4	6	-2	1
Group F
1	France	3	1	2	0	4	3	1	5
2	Germany	3	1	1	1	6	5	1	4
3	Portugal	3	1	1	1	7	6	1	4
4	Hungary	3	0	2	1	3	6	-3	2

Matches Played

Matches Won

Matches Drawn

Matches Lost

Goals For (Goals scored by a team)

Goals Against (Goals conceded by a team)

Goal Difference

Pts

Total Points

There are few greater pleasures in life than a scintillating game of football, and Spain and Croatia have not disappointed! This will go down as a Euro classic, and is arguably the game of the tournament so far.

There is plenty of action left tonight, though, with France's clash against Switzerland only a few minutes away. France can book a quarterfinal berth against Luis Enrique's free-scoring Spain tonight, but they will have to get past Shaqiri and co. first. Over to my colleague Vishal Subramanian, who's covering another game that promises to be a blockbuster. Catch all the live updates here:
EURO 2020 Live Score : France Football vs Switzerland Football Live Score

As for me, I'll be heading along to my television set - without my laptop this time - to sit down and breathe as France look to do their part. This is Aditya Hosangadi signing off with a cheer - have an excellent night!

This tournament has so far had virtually everything you'd want from one: great storylines (with Morata's the latest), great games, great goals, great moments - hopefully it keeps going into the decisive games. Been brilliant so far.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) June 28, 2021

5 - Alvaro Morata has scored his fifth goal at the European Championships, becoming Spain's joint-highest scorer in the competition along with Fernando Torres. Thunderbolt. #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/quYGk3O7eQ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 28, 2021

Spain have scored more goals in their last two games of Euro 2020 (10) than they scored in the whole of the 2010 World Cup (8), which they won.
— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) June 28, 2021

Denmark were the first team in European Championship history to score 4 in back-to-back games. Spain are now the first team to score 5 goals in back-to-back games. 😳
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) June 28, 2021

Spain now find themselves in the quarterfinals of a major tournament after a surprisingly long time, and have scored 10 goals in their last two games.

As for Croatia, this defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, but they can take plenty of heart from an extraordinary performance. We may never see Luka Modric at the Euros again, but the veteran midfielder displayed his class in those ten inspired minutes where Croatia had Spain in a stranglehold.

The plaudits, however, belong to Luis Enrique's men - they looked down and out after that own goal but both Pedri and Unai Simon dusted themselves off and made excellent contributions. Enrique won a tactical battle tonight, and Spain's sharpness holds them in good stead ahead of a tough schedule.

Bar a few nervy moments, Spain absolutely own the last 30 minutes of this game. Alvaro Morata silenced his critics with a finish that would have made Raul Gonzalez and David Villa proud, before Mikel Oyarzabal planted the icing on the cake with Spain's fifth goal of the evening.

Croatia, on the other hand, had other ideas. Courtesy some lion-hearted performances and a few inspired substitutions, Spain were left stunned as Croatia came up with a comeback of their own to take this game into extra time.

Irrespective of what happens to Spain's Euro 2020 campaign, this game will go down in history, simply for the sheer entertainment it produced.

A bizarre own goal left Spain reeling in the first half, but an impressive comeback saw La Roja on course to a victory within 90 minutes.

FULL TIME: Croatia 3-5 Spain

A cult classic in Copenhagen.

120' OLMO HITS THE POST! So very nearly the sixth for Spain. Oyarzabal deceives his man and could have easily scored, but decided to be unselfish and pass it to Dani Olmo. The Leipzig man curls his effort, and it clatters into the woodwork.

119' Croatia attempt to get a goal back, with Brekalo crossing to the far post. Simon gets to it before Budimir and Spain are rid of the danger yet again.

117' A foul by Caleta-Car, and a smart one this time. Oyarzabal was threatening to run into a dangerous area there.

116' MORATA!!! Spain burst through the middle and the Juventus man clearly wants his second. Can only find the side netting, though, and Caleta-Car's follow-through leaves him none too pleased.

To be fair to Croatia, Luka Modric was utterly exhausted. 115 minutes of consistent running, and an admirable performance from the Real Madrid man. He was the driving force behind that comeback.

114' Is that the white flag? Luka Modric comes off, in what could be his last appearance at the Euros. Luka Ivanusec is his replacement.

113' Spain are inviting pressure at the moment, as Croatia look to press high up the pitch. They have the players they need to beat the press, though, with Pedri launching an excellent cross-field ball to Alba.

111' The game has slowed down now, with Spain taking the sting out of proceedings. The onus is on Croatia now, can they pull two more rabbits out of the hat?

108' Spain burst forward now with Dani Olmo. La Roja slow down a fair bit after Croatia regroup. Spain well ahead at the moment.

106' INCHES PAST THE POST! Ante Budimir nearly finds the back of the net with his effort. What a start to the final 15!

Okay, this game does not want to take a break! WE'RE UNDERWAY WITH THE SECOND HALF!

Oyarzabal then followed up brilliantly with another world-class finish. Croatia have another mountain to climb!

Morata scored one of the most important goals in his career, and what a goal it was. That piece of brilliance should spare him some criticism for a few weeks, at the very least.

One word to describe this game? MAD. Just absolute, sheer madness. Croatia were on the up after their comeback, but it's now their turn to be shellshocked.

First half of Extra Time: Croatia 3-5 Spain

105' MORATA! The Spanish striker snatches the ball from Gvardiol and bears down on goal with menace. Domagoj Vida had to really stretch there, and does well to get in the way.

What an absolute cracker of a match, this is end-to-end stuff! Kramaric shoots straight at Simon at one end, and Spain counter with Olmo, who pulls off a brilliant cross. Oyarzabal does a number on Croatia's offside trap, and places an accurate finish. Can Croatia come back again?

103' SPAIN HAVE THEIR FIFTH!! OYARZABAL ON THE COUNTER!

102' Sergio Busquets has played his legs off tonight and gets some respite as Rodri comes on for Spain.

Into the roof of the net, as clean as you like. When Spain needed him the most, Morata stepped up and produced an absolute piece of magic. Spain have the lead!

100' MORATAAAA!!!! 4-3 FOR SPAIN, AND THAT'S A BRILLIANT GOAL!

100' Spain are taking control now, and are pushing Croatia to their limits. Pedri and Busquets dictating terms for the time being.

97' CHANCE FOR SPAIN! It's the Barcelona connection with Busquets and Alba, and Olmo has plenty of space to take his shot. Caleta-Car with a crucial interception!

Orsic and Pasalic are tormenting Azpilicueta here, every Croatian opportunity is flowing through their flank. Spain need to fix a few holes..

96' BRILLIANT SAVE FROM UNAI SIMON! Pasalic wreaks havoc on the left and his cross is excellent, Croatia were certain that they had their winner there, but Simon pulls off a brilliant stop!

93' Foul by Sergio Busquets on Gvardiol. Croatia the better team in these opening exchanges.

92' ORSIC! Huge chance for Croatia! The ball falls kindly for the forward, but he powers his effort over the upright.

CROATIA GET US UNDERWAY WITH EXTRA TIME!

Right, so we're ready for the first 15 of extra time. This game could go either way, we could even have our first shoot-out.

Croatia's substitutes came up with the goods tonight, and Orsic pulled a scrappy goal back with ten minutes left. The Croatians were in no mood to give up, and Mario Pasalic stepped up with a heroic header to take this absolute classic of a match into extra time!

Croatia have somehow pulled off a masterful comeback here, just when they seemed done and dusted. Spain seemed to be coasting after Ferran Torres scored their third goal, and Luis Enrique will rue the fact that they sat back and ceded control to Modric and his midfield.

This is arguably the most action-packed game we've had so far at Euro 2020. A cult classic!

FULL TIME: Croatia 3-3 Spain

WE'RE HEADING INTO EXTRA TIME!

90 + 5' Spain on the attack now, they've sat back and it hasn't worked. Oyarzabal pushes into space but Croatia defend the cross. Can Spain pull off the unthinkable here?

There it is, the moment Croatia desperately needed! Orsic, what an impact he's had in this game. Delivers a stunning, pinpoint cross and Mario Pasalic makes no mistake with his header. WHAT. A. MATCH!

90 + 3' GOOOOAAAAAL CROATIA!!! MARIO PASALIC WITH THE EQUALISER!

90 + 2' KRAMARIC! Livakovic takes the longer route, and the ball falls kindly for Kramaric. His volley is wide, though, and the offside call comes in late again. Croatia have found their stride!

SIX minutes of stoppage-time!

Croatia fans are furious - Unai Simon is taking his own sweet time with his goal kick.

90' Croatia are on the move now, and they're dictating play. Modric finds Brekalo with a brilliant ball, but the winger is marginally offside.

That was a particularly messy, scrambled goal. But with the position Croatia are in at the moment, they'll take it with both hands. A few exciting minutes left - can Croatia take this into extra time?

88' Mikel Oyarzabal replaces Ferran Torres.
Spain take their time with this change, they need to slow things down here.

87' Spain seem stunned here, and Croatia smell blood. Pedri is alert for Spain, though, and some quick feet manage to defuse the situation for La Roja.

Modric finally makes an impact and does brilliantly to advance into the final third. Spain try their best to keep the ball out, but Orsic gets it past the line! GAME ON!

85' GOAL FOR CROATIA! 3-2!
It's the substitute, Orsic!

84' NEARLY THE FOURTH FOR SPAIN! Busquets with a beautiful pass over the top, but Dani Olmo can only lob it into Livakovic's hands.

84' Yellow Card for Duje Caleta-Car.
Croatia are starting to lose their temper here.

82' Spain are fairly happy with their lead at the moment, and the onus is now on Croatia. Step one: get the ball off Sergio Busquets.

Right, let's get back to that goal. Croatia were having a bit of a break there as Gaya received treatment. The Spaniard went off the pitch and the Croatians seemed oblivious to the referee's whistle. Spain were ruthless with their play, but that was clumsy from Gvardiol and co.

79' Croatia respond with changes of their own, Ante Budimir on for Nikola Vlasic, Mario Pasalic comes on for Kovacic. Croatia with the kitchen sink now!

78' Another double change for Spain, Fabian Ruiz comes on for Koke and Jordi Alba replaces Jose Gaya.

Wonderful work from Laporte, Croatia went to sleep there, and the defender found Ferran Torres in ACRES of space on the far side. Does brilliantly to brush off a challenge and doubles Spain's lead with an accurate finish.

77' GOAL FERRAN TORRES! 3-1!

76' Jose Gaya is down and receiving treatment, and the Croatia supporters do not like it one bit. Doesn't seem like an act though, the Valencia full-back had an awkward fall.

74' Josip Brekalo on for Josip Juranovic.
An attacking change, Croatia do not have much time left.

73' Yellow Card for Marcelo Brozovic
If Croatia do manage to claw their way back into this and win, the Inter Milan man will be suspended for the quarterfinals.

72' Ball in the back of the net by Alvaro Morata! The free-kick effectively dismantles Croatia, but Morata is virtually on the line there when he strikes. He knows it immediately, Luis Enrique doesn't. Clear offside.

71' Double change for Spain! Dani Olmo on for Pablo Sarabia, Pau Torres replaces Eric Garcia.

71' Koke does very well to shield the ball, and wins a free-kick for Spain.

69' Gvardiol with another chance as he's through on goal, but Unai Simon saves again.
Spain are not happy with the officials - Gvardiol was offside by a few yards there and the whistle was as late as can possibly be.

68' Excellent save from Simon! Croatia's best chance so far, with some intricate play in the area. Gvardiol takes a snap shot, and Simon does brilliantly to get down and smother the ball.

67' That was Rebic's last touch of the game. Mislav Orsic on for the AC Milan forward.

66' Croatia enjoy a good spell with Modric and Brozovic getting into the game. The ball falls to Rebic, but he virtually passes the ball into Simon's hands. Poor attempt there.

64' Another excellent cross from Spain! Directed towards Morata but Vida is in the way. Croatia cannot afford to concede again!

63' Croatia finally put a few passes together, but Spain's press is a touch too heavy for them. Modric ends up fouling Morata and the ball is back with Spain. Again.

60' Croatia are looking for their response but are struggling to get the ball off Spain. La Roja's tactical maestros are weaving their web brilliantly here.

Shout-outs to Pedri and Ferran Torres as well there. They've been all over Croatia today and both youngsters played their parts in that goal.

Massive, massive goal for Spain. They've dominated this game, and deserve to be in the lead.

Pedri charges into the final third with another run and finds Ferran Torres on the left. The cross is pinpoint, and the header is powerful. Azpilicueta's first international goal, and what a time to step up!

57' GOOOOAAAAL SPAIN! AZPILICUETA!

55' Ferran Torres is finding plenty of joy on the left, and crosses to the far post again. Sarabia steps up with a much better lay-off this time, but Caleta-Car clears. Spain on top at the moment.

A ball change now, there's a stoppage in the game. Spain are furious, they were on the move there..

54' The referee slows things down as Gvardiol fouls Morata. The Spaniard was unhappy with something there, and Gvardiol gets a talking to from the officials.

The game has picked up pace yet again, and is back to its breathless best. This should be fun.

53' Croatia with a counter almost immediately! Juranovic embarks on an adventurous run and nearly threads a pass through to Kramaric!

52' CHANCE! Ferran Torres swings another brilliant cross to the far post, but Azpilicueta's lay-off is straight into Livakovic's hands.

51' Spain win the ball back almost immediately. This is a brilliant set-up at the moment, La Roja are certainly doing something right to dominate this Croatia midfield.

50' Spain try to take a more direct route now, with Pedri attempting a ball over the top. Koke is nowhere near quick enough - not really his strength - and Vida mops it up.

48' Nice delivery from Koke, but Croatia are able to see off the danger. Spain start again.

47' Gvardiol with a clumsy challenge, Spain win a free-kick in a dangerous area..

The stadium cheering every back pass to Unai Simon! Fans can be hilarious, but you've got to feel for the Bilbao man at this point.

46' Croatia make their first change of the game, Andrej Kramaric is on for Bruno Petkovic.

Second half is underway!
Croatia kick things off from left to right.

Right, so we're only a few moments away from the start of the second half. It's all level at the moment at 1-1, and this game could go either way.

If anyone can offer Unai Simón some advice right now, speaking from experience... it's David de Gea pic.twitter.com/D7mZx1YyET
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) June 28, 2021

That was a half of football that simply refused to let me breathe. Only a few more minutes left for the second half. For the neutral eye, this game is a classic!

1-1! Pinball in box, Sarabia slams in the equaliser! Vamos!
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 28, 2021

Spain were visibly rattled by that otherworldly own goal, but did exceedingly well to pick themselves up. La Roja were the better team for most of the half and finally found the equaliser - Pedri making amends for his backpass by tearing Croatia's lines apart. Sarabia smashed the ball into an empty net and we now find ourselves back at square one.

Spain but the 'S' is silent 😬 pic.twitter.com/QO0ZKDmOvL
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 28, 2021

Wonder if strong sun in Simon's eyes had anything to do with it.
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 28, 2021

Spain dominated the opening exchanges but essentially shot themselves in the foot after Unai Simon who, under absolutely no pressure, failed to control a back pass. Croatia grew into the game after the own goal and fashioned a few chances for themselves.

It's level here in Copenhagen, and we can finally catch our breath. That was an exhilarating half of football from both Spain and Croatia, but the latter will likely be happier with the scoreline.

HALF-TIME:
Croatia 1-1 Spain (Pedri 20' OG; Pablo Sarabia 38')

45 + 1' Morata tries his luck! Excellent link-up play from Spain, but Morata is way off target from the edge of the penalty area.

Only one minute of added time in the first half.

45' Croatia on the counter! Kovacic embarks on one of his runs and finds Ante Rebic's angled run. Unai Simon is off his line and gets there just in time. Fine margins there..

44' Promising play from Croatia! They're not going to accept Spain's dominance here. A ball from the right nearly finds Rebic, but Unai Simon is on hand to collect.

43' KOKE! Attempts a speculative shot after the ball is cleared into the midfield. Plenty of power, but Livakovic was never in trouble there.

42' Spain, meanwhile, are looking for the lead now. They have another corner, and Croatia are struggling to get out of their own half.

UPDATE: Pedri, who played the pass back to Unai Simon, has now been credited with an own goal. Unfortunate for the 18-year-old, he's been excellent in the first half.

Well-deserved equaliser for Spain, they've been knocking at the door all day. Pedri the prime protagonist there, with some excellent work. Morata played a part too, making a nuisance of himself in the box.

Pedri and Spain wreak absolute havoc in Croatia's area and Livakovic decides to run off his line. The ball bounces around before Pedri smashes his shot into the keeper, Sarabia is there to do the rest! 1-1!

38' GOOOOOOOALLLLL PABLO SARABIA!

37' Spain are picking up the pace here, their desperate for an equaliser. Ferran Torres finds ball on the right and wins a corner.

35' A rare counter-attack from Spain, as Morata look to find Sarabia. Juranovic wins the foot race, however, and Croatia have the ball back.

34' Pedri looks to seize the initiative and plays a smart ball to Pablo Sarabia. The winger commits a foul though, and Spain lose their momentum yet again.

Spain are regaining their composure here, but Croatia are a hard team to break down. An uphill climb now for Luis Enrique's men.

31' Corner for Spain. Laporte again with a precise long ball, Morata pressures Vida into conceding a corner but a foul ensures that Croatia are safe.

This game has moved at a breakneck pace. Chance after chance for Spain, and yet Croatia lead because of something you'd seldom see on a stage such as this.

27' Spain look to respond immediately with a cross to the back post. Sarabia rises above his marker but ends up fouling him in the process.

26' Kovacic this time! Cuts in from the left and tries his luck against Simon, but the ball flies over the crossbar.

25' VLASIC! Modric now steps up and plays a brilliant ball to Vlasic, who bears down on goal. His strike crashes into the side netting.
Spain are beginning to feel the heat here..

24' Rebic goes down in the penalty area! Croatia are also asking for a handball, but the referee expresses no interest. Croatia have a spring in their step.

23' Spain have the ball back and will need to equalise before the break. They look absolutely stunned at the moment - that own goal was completely against the run of play.

The own goal came only seconds after a huge chance for Morata. Spain only have themselves to blame at the moment. Luis Enrique will not be a happy man..

20' WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT! Unai Simon with a blunder!
Pedri plays the ball back towards goal and Simon, who has had nothing to do so far, inexplicably fails to bring the ball under control. 1-0 Croatia!

18' Croatia with their first foray into Spain territory. Brozovic overhits the pass though, and the move breaks down.

Pedri with an absolutely gorgeous ball, completely destroyed Croatia's lines. Koke should really have done better there, the ball was on put on a plate.

16' WHAT A CHANCE! Koke has somehow failed to beat Livakovic from close range.

Spain's pressing has been impeccable so far, and Croatia have been starved of the ball. It hasn't been innocuous possession either - Spain look pretty dangerous at the moment.

12' SARABIA! Into the side netting from the forward. Busquets waves his wand with a reverse pass, and Morata responds with a nice little back-heel. Pablo Sarabia has the angle against him, and doesn't trouble Croatia with his shot.

11' Croatia win a free-kick now, and they take it quickly. Spain are on high alert, though, and clear their lines.

9' Kovacic with another nasty foul on Ferran Torres, and gets a stern warning from the referee. Azpilicueta gets his header on target from the resulting free-kick but it's a simple save for Livakovic.

Spain are winning the tactical battle so far. Modric, Kovacic, Brozovic - they've barely had a touch of the ball. Croatia need to tweak a few things to keep up.

6' KOKE! The ball bobs around the area for a few seconds before a cross finds Ferran Torres' head. The ball across the box is a little behind Koke, though. Spain are getting closer, with only six minutes on the clock.

5' Free-kick to Spain, clumsy from Brozovic there. Morata looked to turn past the Inter Milan man and Brozovic was nowhere near the ball.

Spain have already settled into their rhythm here and are comfortably passing it around. Croatia are yet to string three passes together - they'll need to work on their press to get the ball off Spain.

2' CHANCE! Fast start from Spain as Laporte nearly finds Sarabia with a long ball. Livakovic is first to the ball, though.

KICK-OFF!
Spain get things started, attacking from left to right.

The players have taken their positions on the pitch. A few seconds away from the start..

Right, so here we are. Time for the anthems!

There's still over half an hour left for kick-off, so let's get all the predictions in! Here's ours:

Croatia vs Spain prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Euro 2020

Luis Enrique, on the other hand, has surprised many of us with his changes. Jose Gaya replaces the in-form Jordi Alba in what is a like-for-like change. Ferran Torres made an impact against Slovakia and has been rewarded with a start, in place for Gerard Moreno. Eric Garcia also keeps his place in the team ahead of Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Only Spain's midfield remains intact - Pedri, Busquets, and Koke cover all the bases there are to cover in a midfield unit. Spain like to pass, and pass, and pass - the only difference today is that they face a team whose set-up is not too different from their own.

Spain assistant coach Jesus Casas on TV saying neither Alba nor Gerard are injured, changes made for tactical reasons, Gaya and Ferran bring different things to team.
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 28, 2021

Right, so both teams have played their hand ahead of this crucial encounter. Croatia have not tinkered much with a combination that brought them plenty of success against Scotland. Only two changes for the team - Caleta-Car in for Lovren and Ante Rebic in for Ivan Perisic, who has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19.

Modric, Brozovic, and Kovacic make up a formidable midfield that can go toe-to-toe with Spain's maestros, and maybe even outclass them tonight. Nikola Vlasic keeps his place after finding the back of the net against the Scots, and will partner Petkovic and Rebic up front for Croatia.

16 of Spain's 21 outfield squad members named in XI across the 4 games. Only Laporte, Koke, Pedri and Morata started each time.
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) June 28, 2021

Couple more changes from Luis Enrique as Ferran Torres returns to the team at the expense of Gerard Moreno and Jose Gaya comes in for Jordi Alba pic.twitter.com/oVsglrFhCl
— Richard Martin (@Rich9908) June 28, 2021

Spain Official XI (4-3-3):
Unai Simon; Jose Gaya, Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte, Cesar Azpilicueta; Sergio Busquets, Koke, Pedri; Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata

Substitutes:
David de Gea, Diego Llorente, Pau Torres, Marcos Llorente, Gerard Moreno, Thiago Alcantara, Robert Sanchez, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Jordi Alba, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal

🔥 #CRO starting lineup! #BeProud | #CROESP | #EURO2020 | #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/pAmFmASxSq
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 28, 2021

Croatia Official XI (4-3-3)
Dominik Livakovic; Josip Juranovic, Duje Caleta-Car, Domagoj Vida, Josko Gvardiol; Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric; Nikola Vlasic, Ante Rebic, Bruno Petkovic

Substitutes:
Sime Vrsaljko, Josip Brekalo, Andrej Kramaric, Lovre Kalinic, Ante Budimir, Mario Pasalic, Mile Skoric, Mislav Orsic, Simon Sluga, Milan Badelj, Luka Ivanusec, Domagoj Bradaric

LINE-UPS ARE OUT!

Both Spain and Croatia enjoy playing their football with the ball at their feet, and this could not be further exemplified by the two midfield generals in today's game: Sergio Busquets and Luke Modric. The two veterans have faced each other in countless El Clasicos over the past decade and have another golden opportunity here to get one over the other.

Speaking of head-to-heads, these two sides do have some history at the Euros. We're still 30 minutes away from the official line-ups, so here are some interesting statistics to keep you company:

Croatia vs Spain Head-to-Head stats and numbers you need to know before Match 41 of UEFA Euro 2020

🇪🇸 🇭🇷 Croatia came from behind to defeat Spain 2-1 at EURO 2016 👊

Score prediction for today?#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/csDmdDaJYu
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 28, 2021

Pure Luis Enrique just now when asked if he would make changes to Spain side vs. Croatia tomo pic.twitter.com/YBa3wVd4j1
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) June 27, 2021

Luis Enrique has copped some criticism for his decisions at Euro 2020, but most of them were vindicated by Spain's stunning 5-0 thrashing of Slovakia. Granted - Slovakia were quite abysmal on the day, but the game laid down a marker: Spain have what it takes to turn their possession into something meaningful.

Luka Modric was inspirational against Scotland - his goal will have sent a few shivers down the Spaniards' spine. If there's one thing the 2018 World Cup taught us, it's that Croatia can punch above their weight like a fish can swim. Spain are in for a pretty difficult game.

Spain and Croatia have essentially mirrored each other in terms of form and performance at Euro 2020 so far. Both sides failed to justify their potential in their first two matches, before turning on the style in their last group games to reach the Round of 16.

Hello, and welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the Euro 2020 match between Spain and Croatia! I'm Aditya Hosangadi, your host for the day, and I'll be with you all the way as we follow what should be an excellent tactical battle between two classical European outfits.

Date & Time

28 June, Mon 09:30 PM IST

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Euro Cup

Stadium

Parken

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