Croatia vs Spain Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

The 2022/23 UEFA Nations League will draw to a close with an unlikely final at De Kuip, which will be Croatia vs Spain.

Croatia vs Spain will be the showcase fixture of the weekend as they vie for the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. And both teams will have the chance to lift the brand-new continental competition for the first time in their history. The match will come after the third-place encounter between Netherlands and Italy.

Croatia reached the UEFA Nations League Finals after topping Group A1 ahead of Denmark and defending champions France. Vatreni dropped points just once in six games to set up a semi-finals date against the Netherlands. And they beat the Oranje 4-2 after extra time to reach the trophy clash.

On the other hand, Spain finished atop a closely-contested Group A2, where three teams were in contention to reach the semi-finals. La Roja finished just two points ahead of third-placed Switzerland. And they met Italy in the penultimate round, eking out a 2-1 win over the Azzurri to set up a date with Croatia.

Croatia and Spain met in the UEFA Euro 2020 Round of 16, with La Roja eking out a 5-3 win at the end of a goal-fest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Croatia

Zlatko Dalic does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the UEFA Nations League final. On Sunday vs Spain, the Croatia head coach will have a full-strength squad apart from the players missing from the original group due to injuries.

Dominik Livakovic is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Croatia lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. And Josip Sutalo and Domagoj Vida will need to step up in the absence of Josko Gvardiol. Meanwhile, Josip Juranovic and Ivan Perisic should be the two full-backs.

The midfield unit is Croatia’s strong suit, with three legends taking their spots in the middle of the park. Marcelo Brozovic will sit at the base of the trifecta, with Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic providing the forward thrust from the middle of the park.

As for the offensive unit, Andrej Kramaric will spearhead the attack against Spain. Mario Pasalic and Luka Ivanusec should be the two wide attackers. But the duo will mostly take up central positions to create overloads in the middle. That will also enable the full-backs to charge forward and create chances for Kramaric.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Vida, Sutalo, Perisic; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Ivanusec

Spain

Like his counterpart in the Croatian dugout, Luis de la Fuente does not have any issues to deal with ahead of the UEFA Nations League final. Spain’s head coach will have a full-strength squad at his disposal at De Kuip on Sunday.

Unai Simon will pick himself between the sticks, with Spain lining up in an unfamiliar 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. As for the defensive unit, de la Fuente should make one change, with Dani Carvajal replacing Jesus Navas. The veteran full-back will join Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, and Jordi Alba in the backline.

As for the midfield unit, de la Fuente will go ahead with a defensive-minded pairing of Mikel Merino and Rodri. But while the duo will shore up things in the middle of the park, they will also push Spain forward quickly during transitions.

Gavi will be the third midfielder for Spain, reprising the no. 10 role that is bringing the best out of him. Finally, Alvaro Morata will spearhead the Spanish attack against Croatia, with Marco Asensio and Yeremy Pino being the two wide attackers. So Joselu, the match-winner versus Italy, will make another appearance off the bench.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Alba; Merino, Rodri; Asensio, Gavi, Pino; Morata

Key Stats

• Sunday’s clash will be the tenth meeting between Croatia and Spain. La Roja lead the head-to-head with five wins (D1 L3).
• Only one of Croatia’s last 13 matches since the start of 2022 has ended in defeat (W7 D5), with two stalemates ending in penalty shootout wins.
• In contrast, three of Spain’s last ten matches since the start of 2022 have ended in defeat (W5 D2), with one stalemate ending in a penalty shootout loss.
• Croatia have seen over 2.5 goals in their last four games against Spain across all competitions.
• Spain have scored at least two goals in their last three matches vs Croatia in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Luka Modric

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Another season has passed by without Modric looking close to declining. Despite being 37 years old, the veteran playmaker is seemingly getting better; ageing like fine wine, as they say. And he continued his impressive run with a man-of-the-match performance against the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

Croatia’s captain will again be the most important player for Vatreni. His seamless energy gives his team the inspiration to push the best teams to the limit. And another such performance might help Croatia get past Spain to win the UEFA Nations League and deliver the captain fantastic a much-deserved trophy.

Prediction

Croatia 3-2 Spain

Meetings between Croatia and Spain are renowned for being goal fests. The most recent clash saw eight strikes going past the two goalkeepers. And Sunday’s clash should be another riveting contest featuring the two teams, especially with a trophy at stake this time.

Spain will look to control the proceedings and push Croatia to make mistakes. But Vatreni will produce a trademark resolute performance to withstand the pressure. And Luka Modric will strike the killer blow to win his first international trophy. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely-contested affair, with Zlatko Dalic’s men clinching a 3-2 win.