The all-conquering Spain made a perfect start to their bid to add the UEFA Nations League (UNL) to their current trophy haul, but Croatia arrive in Seville having also won on matchday one.
Match News and Current Form
Spain made it eight wins on the spin on Saturday night, though their 3-2 win over England was far from straightforward with La Roja opening the scoring inside two minutes before needing to stage a second-half comeback from 2-1 down. Such resilience is just another weapon in Luis de la Fuente’s arsenal, with his side now unbeaten in an all-time record 39 matches inside 90 minutes (W29, D10). That run only looks like extending given that Spain were last beaten on their own turf back in 2022 by Switzerland, while their last loss in Seville dates back to October 2018!
Slaven Bilić’s second tenure in charge of Croatia is off to a near-perfect start with his side beating the Czech Republic 2-1 at the weekend. That looks a crucial result given the make-up of this group of heavy hitters, especially as seven of Croatia’s last eight losses have come against sides currently ranked inside FIFA’s top ten. They’ll have to make history to avoid another defeat, though a five-match unbeaten run on their travels suggests the Croatians are capable (W4, D1), and Bilić may be the mastermind to do it having opened his previous stint in charge of the national team by going unbeaten in his first 14 games (W12, D2).
Head-to-Head History
Spain have won each of the last three H2Hs, including the final of the 2022/23 UNL on penalties. Croatia lost their only away H2H in this competition 6-0 back in September 2018!
Hot Stats and Streaks
Spain have faced just 29 shots on target across their last 16 competitive games.
Five of Spain’s last seven wins came by a one-goal margin.
Six of Croatia’s last seven H2H goals came after half-time.
Four of Croatia’s last six matches, including each of the last three, were decided by a 2-1 scoreline (W3, L1).
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Álex Baena came off the bench to save Spain at the weekend, directly contributing to their final two goals (G1, A1), with three of his four international strikes coming on or beyond the hour mark. Marco Pašalić’s first-ever competitive Croatia goal sealed their win on matchday one and ended a run of five personal scoring appearances without a win.
Both sides look to have come through their last match unscathed.
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Betting Analysis
Value is hard to find with Spain involved but backing against them appears foolish, so Spain to win and score over 2.5 goals may be the best avenue to explore.
Author: Ryan Fisher