Spain made a stunning start to Euro 2024 as Alvaro Morata scored in a commanding 3-0 victory over Croatia in Berlin on Saturday. The Spain vs Croatia match also saw Lamine Yamal etch his name in history as the youngest player ever to compete in the European Championship.
Spain 3-0 Croatia
Yamal’s presence was felt immediately, providing a crucial assist for Dani Carvajal’s goal just before half-time, effectively sealing the win for Spain Euro 2024.
Spain vs Croatia: Spain’s Resurgence Against Croatia
The three-time European champions have often been criticized for their lack of offensive firepower in recent major tournaments. However, they delivered a captivating performance at the Olympiastadion, dismantling a lackluster Croatian side. Morata opened the scoring in the 29th minute, netting his seventh European Championship goal, placing him joint-third on the all-time list alongside football legends Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann.
Fabian Ruiz quickly followed up with a spectacular individual effort, adding a second goal. As the game approached half-time, Yamal set up Carvajal, whose goal left Croatia with a steep uphill battle. Croatia’s striker Bruno Petkovic compounded their misery by missing a late penalty.
Yamal, expressing his joy to La 1, said, “I’m very happy with the win and my debut in the Euros. We’ve got confidence, we’re a very efficient team, and we’re showing it. All the hard work over the past few months has paid off.”
A Promising Future
This match, a repeat of last year’s Nations League final which Spain won on penalties after a goalless draw, signals that La Roja is a serious contender for a record-breaking fourth European Championship title. In contrast, Croatia, who reached the World Cup semi-finals, now faces a tough challenge to advance to the knockout stages for the fifth consecutive major tournament, with matches against Albania and reigning champions Italy still to come in Group B.
Croatian icon Luka Modric, often the heart and soul of his team, was substituted midway through the second half by coach Zlatko Dalic.
Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, fielded an exciting lineup, featuring wingers Nico Williams and Yamal. The 16-year-old Barcelona prodigy, at 16 years and 338 days, shattered the previous record for the youngest player in Euros history, former record held by Kacper Kozlowski, a Polish international who competed at Euro 2020 at the age of 17 years, 246 days.
“We are very proud to have Lamine Yamal. He has so much football left to show,” commented Ruiz.
Croatia’s Tepid Start
Despite strong support from the stands, where Croatian fans displayed a massive banner during the national anthem reading “When we get going, heaven and earth will burn,” Croatia began the match sluggishly, allowing Spain to dominate possession in typical Spanish fashion.
Spain showcased their growing versatility under De la Fuente with their opening goal. An exquisite through ball from Ruiz, deep within his own half, found Morata, who coolly finished past the stranded Dominik Livakovic.
Ruiz doubled Spain’s lead just three minutes later, weaving past two Croatian defenders before slotting the ball through Josip Sutalo’s legs and into the bottom corner.
Croatia almost immediately responded as the match began to mirror the thrilling end-to-end nature of their previous Euro 2020 clash, which Spain won 5-3 after extra time. Marcelo Brozovic attempted a shot, but Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon reacted fast to block it; Lovro Majer could only find the side-netting with the bounce back.
Spain’s Dominance in Euro 2024
Croatia continued to create chances, with Josko Gvardiol’s cross narrowly missing both Ante Budimir and the far post. However, Carvajal, fresh off scoring in Real Madrid’s Champions League final triumph over Borussia Dortmund, ended the contest in first-half added time. Yamal collected the ball after a cleared corner and delivered a sublime cross, which Carvajal volleyed home for his first international goal.
Early in the second half, Yamal came close to breaking another record as the youngest scorer in Euros history, but Livakovic made a fine save to deny him.
Marc Cucurella, controversially selected by De la Fuente at left-back, made a crucial block to prevent Josip Stanisic from giving Croatia a glimmer of hope. Substitute Petkovic thought he had salvaged some pride by tapping in after his penalty was saved by Simon, but the goal was disallowed by VAR for encroachment by Ivan Perisic.
Spain’s clean sheet capped off an almost flawless performance, underscoring their potential as serious contenders in Euro 2024.
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