The second match of the three at the Euro 2024 tournament on Saturday sees Group B getting underway and it does so with a clash between the former champions Spain and the 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia.
These two sides know that Italy are also in this section so they will both be eager to get off to a good start as they embark on another tournament where only going close to the title and winning it will be the aim.
Where to watch
The match will be shown on the ITV 1 channel in the UK with the build-up beginning at around 4.15pm after the first game. Kick off in Berlin is at 5pm.
Spain
The reigning UEFA Nations League champions Spain arrive at this tournament not quite as a leading light in the eyes of the bookmakers but certainly as a team who could win it if everything goes their way. There is a school of thought that this might be a tournament too soon for a largely young squad who might be better when the World Cup comes along but if the Spanish can find a ruthless streak in front of goal, and a genuine top class number nine is all they lack, then they will be a problem.
Spain started qualifying slowly with a defeat to Scotland, a result which looks absolutely awful after the opening game of this event, but got into groove and won their last seven so they should have built plenty of confidence heading into this tournament. Just three members of this squad were involved in the Real Madrid success in the Champions League so the fear that they could be jaded probably isn’t likely to ring true.
Croatia
We are getting towards the end of that magical generation of Croatian football which had a high of them reaching the final of the World Cup six years ago and the semi-finals of the same tournament 18 months ago. The regret would be that they couldn’t get over the line and bring silverware to the country but the footballing side of the nation is firmly back on the map and now you sense everything will be given to send this generation out on a high.
Croatia look to be solid defensively, led by Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol who will play in the centre of the defence for his nation. Their midfield has been one of the strongest in world football for a while now and that remains the case but where the questions come is whether they have enough in the forward parts of the pitch to trouble the best. We’re certainly going to find out in this group given the calibre of opponent they face.
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Team News
Spain have a doubt over the former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte who missed training a couple of days ago with a muscle issue so he could be given longer to get fully fit and come in later in the tournament.
Croatia have a doubt over Ivan Perisic who isn’t yet over the knee injury that he sustained which kept him out of most of the season, however he is expected to be fit enough to take a place on the bench should he be needed.
Betting
I fancy this could be a tighter match than the odds suggest so I wouldn’t want to get too involved in it until we have seen both sides and how they are shaping up. It was only 12 months or so ago that these two played out a goalless draw in the UEFA Nations League final and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is equally as tight as the two sides look to work their way into the tournament. There is a bet that I like though.
That comes in the form of Rodri shots. He had two against this opposition in the Nations League final and four against Italy in the semi-final prior to that and three in the last qualifying game for this tournament against Georgia so he is a player who gets involved in the attacking phase of play for the Spanish, as we have seen him doing more and more for Manchester City this term. He has been on penalties for Spain this year so if he is on them here that wouldn’t be a bad thing and with a line of 1.5 which has been covered on those three significant occasions, I’ll pay to see if he has two more efforts in him here.
Tips
Back Rodri – Over 1.5 shots for a 3/10 stake at 2.38 with Bet365
