On this evening in the European Championship, there will be four matches, and the last matches of the first stage will be played by the teams of groups C and D. The most anticipated match out of the four will be the clash of the leaders of group D - the national teams of Croatia and Spain. The review of these matches is presented to you by "Eurofootball.com".
Match time and venue:
On June 21 at 22:00, at the "Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux" stadium. The match will be broadcast live on the LRT channel.
Tournament situation:
The team that wins the match will take the first place in group D. For Spain to secure the first place, a draw will be enough, and if the Croatians lose, they could remain third in the group. This would happen if the Czech Republic manages to defeat Turkey.
News from the team camps:
There are many questions surrounding the health of Luka Modric in the Croatian national team. He strained a muscle, and his participation in these matches is highly doubtful. If the "Real" defender cannot make it to the pitch, his club colleague Mateo Kovacic is in line to replace him. Croatia may also be without Vedran Corluka, who suffered a head injury in the match against Turkey, and Mario Mandzukic, who was recovering from a minor injury.
All players in the Spanish national team camp are healthy and ready for the match. It is believed that the coach of the team, Vicente Del Bosque, will give a chance to some players who did not feature in the starting lineup in the first two matches. However, the coach himself claims that the best players of the team will appear on the pitch.
Coaches' comments:
Ante Cacic (Croatia): "These matches will decide which team will remain first in the group. We will play against strong opponents who are twice European champions and have many players from "Real" and "Barcelona". This is a team that knows how to play and take advantage of their opportunities. They have been playing such important matches for many years.
We also need to focus on the upcoming matches in the knockout stage, so these matches will be a great preparation for them. We deserve to advance to the next stage just like Spain. This group was not easy. We wasted the lead in the match against the Czech Republic, but this game will help us avoid such mistakes later on.
Del Bosque said that we play the best football in this group? I hear this for the first time, but it is a great compliment from one of the best coaches who trains one of the best national teams."
Vicente Del Bosque (Spain): "I don't know if it's good to let the players rest now. They are in good rhythm, and changes in the lineup can disrupt that. Iniesta is playing well and he should continue with that kind of performance.
Luka Modric is one of the best Croatian players, and he is simply amazing in the "Real" club. Croatia is a very organized team. We will try to defeat them, and in the lineup, I will throw in eleven of the best players at that time. Note that the Croatians have shown in their game that they are one of the best in the whole tournament."
Players to watch:
Croatia: Ivan Rakitic
Without Modric on the field, Rakitic's importance in the Croatian national team significantly increases. The "Barcelona" star will be visible in both areas of the pitch, and in the duel today, he will face not only one of his teammates who know the Croatian well and know what he is capable of.
Spain: Sergio Busquets
Busquets should be the one tasked with stopping Rakitic. If the defensive midfielder manages to overshadow the performance of his clubmate "Barcelona", these matches will be much easier for the Spanish national team.
Predicted lineups:
Croatia: Subasic; Srna, Corluka, Vida, Strinic; Brozovic, Badelj; Pjaca, Rakitic, Perisic; Mandzukic.
Spain: Casillas; Bellerin, Pique, San Jose, Alba; Busquets; Pedro, Thiago, Iniesta, Nolito; Morata.
What specialists predict:
Reymundas Tomayo ("Yibada"): "In the previous match, the Spaniards felt their game, and in Group D they are predicted to get nine points out of as many possible. Vicente Del Bosque's players should fulfill these predictions tonight. Croatia 0 - 2 Spain."
Paul Merson ("Sky Sports"): "For 60 minutes, the Croats simply dominated the Czechs and looked like potential winners of this tournament. Then the foolishness of the fans who started throwing objects onto the pitch caused a break in the match. After that, the picture completely changed, and the match ended in a draw. Modric's health will not be risked in this match, and without him, the Croatians are not the same. It won't be easy for Spain, but they will win. Croatia 0 - 2 Spain."
Roanna Sanelli ("Outside 90"): "It's hard not to acknowledge the achievements of the Spaniards - they have not lost in the European Championships in fourteen matches in a row, and they have not conceded a goal in their net for 690 minutes. If the Croats want to have a chance to win - they must fight for it from the first moments. They must enter the field without thinking about achieving draws and aim for victory. If they can repeat the game we saw in the first half against the Czechs, the Spanish will face a serious challenge. Whatever happens, an excellent match awaits. Croatia 1 - 2 Spain."
Interesting facts:
This will be the sixth match between these teams, and out of the previous five matches, the Spaniards celebrated victory in three matches;
After defeating the Spaniards in the first match between the two, the Croats not only did not win a single match afterward but also scored only two goals;
Spain and Croatia met at the previous European Championships - then the Spaniards celebrated a 1-0 victory, with Jesus Navas scoring the winning goal in the 88th minute;
The Croats reached the knockout stage of the European Championships twice out of four attempts;
In the last 11 matches of the European Championships, the Croats did not score a goal even once - this happened in the 2012 match against the Spaniards;
Spain has not lost in fourteen matches in a row in the European Championships, and has not conceded a goal in their net for 690 minutes;
In the group stage of the tournament, Spain has not been left without a goal in eight consecutive matches;
In the first two rounds, the Croats had 20 more shots than their opponents, but only scored one more goal than their opponents.
