Euro 2024: Spain ease to win against Croatia
Spain 3 - 0 Croatia
Spain kicked off their campaign for a fourth European Championship in spectacular fashion, securing a convincing win against Croatia in Berlin.
Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Carvajal each found the net in the first half, effectively deciding the match before the interval. Despite Croatia's lacklustre performance, this victory stands as a significant statement for the European champions of 2008 and 2012.
Inspired by Barcelona's prodigy Lamine Yamal, who made history as the youngest player ever to feature in a European Championship at just 16 years and 338 days, Spain dominated the first half, scoring all three of their goals.
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The first two goals came within three minutes. Captain Alvaro Morata coolly finished a one-on-one chance from Fabian Ruiz's precise through-ball, and soon after, Ruiz himself twisted and turned in the Croatia box before firing home the second.
Despite being led by the experienced 38-year-old Luka Modric, participating in his ninth major tournament, Croatia surprisingly enjoyed more possession than Spain. However, their defensive errors were mercilessly exploited, and they failed to make the most of their opportunities in attack.
In the second half, Marc Cucurella cleared a Josip Stanisic effort off the line. Later, Croatia had a goal disallowed for encroachment after substitute Bruno Petkovic won a penalty from Rodri following a mistake by Unai Simon. Petkovic scored from the rebound after Simon saved his spot-kick, but it didn't count.
This result marks an almost perfect start to the tournament for Spain, with the only concern being a possible injury to Rodri, which saw the Manchester City midfielder substituted late in the game.
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The footwork. The finish.
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 15, 2024
Brilliant from Fabián Ruiz 🥵#EUROGOTT | @AlipayPlus pic.twitter.com/hgBA4RhHle
Miguel, a Spanish fan, has urged his fellow fans to be cautious. He said: " Do you remember how the Qatar World Cup began with a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica, making us think we were destined to conquer the world? This time, we saw a very efficient Spain. However, we did concede some chances. Unai Simon had to save us a couple of times, including a penalty. It's important to remain cautious. Spain put in a strong performance, but it could have gone differently. Croatia always play this kind of game. In the first 15 minutes, it was all about Spain – we won the ball, got it into the box, and executed quick transitions."
William, a Liverpool fan, watched the match as a neutral: "I haven't seen a Spanish side like this in ages. They put their bodies on the line, stayed organised and the wingers provided excellent width. The players clearly understand what the manager wants and deliver on it. When they lose the ball, they quickly regroup into an impressive shape. They looked united, well-organised, and aggressive. It's been a long time since I've seen a Spanish team play like this."
