Spain vs Croatia Preview: First Place in Group A3 on the Line in Seville, a 39-Match Unbeaten Run, and Modric Still Running the Game at 41
Two wins from two is on the table in Seville on Tuesday night, and only one of these sides can have it. Spain and Croatia both opened their Nations League campaign with away victories three days ago — Spain coming from behind to win 3-2 at Wembley, Croatia digging out a 2-1 win in Prague — and they arrive at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán level on three points and level on goal difference, with Spain ahead only on goals scored. It is also the first home fixture for the world champions since they lifted the trophy in July, and the first meeting between these two since Spain won 3-0 at the European Championship two years ago.
What Matchday One Actually Told Us
Spain’s 3-2 win at Wembley was not the controlled performance the scoreline of a world champion usually implies. They trailed at half-time having conceded twice — more goals than they had shipped across the entire World Cup they won — and their 53 per cent possession share was well below their normal figure. What turned it was pressure after the break: two goals came directly from turnovers in England’s half, and the bench made the difference, with Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal both scoring after coming on. De la Fuente has a squad deep enough that rotation is a weapon rather than a compromise, and after a physically heavy night in London he is expected to use it.
Croatia’s opening win in Prague came in Slaven Bilić’s first match back in charge. They led the expected-goals count 1.85 to 0.93 and created their chances through sustained possession rather than transitions, which is a useful marker of what Bilić wants. The problem is that Seville is a different assignment: Croatia are likely to spend far more of the night without the ball, and the counter-attacking route — the one that suits Martin Baturina, Ivan Perišić and Ante Budimir — is the one they may have to fall back on. Veterans Perišić and Luka Modrić both contributed to goals in Prague. Modrić, who turned 41 earlier this month, is still the player Croatia build through.
Head-to-Head: The Last Five
| Date | Competition | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jun 2024 | European Championship, group stage | Spain 3-0 Croatia | Spain |
| 18 Jun 2023 | Nations League final | Croatia 0-0 Spain | Spain on penalties |
| 28 Jun 2021 | European Championship, round of 16 | Croatia 3-3 Spain | Spain on penalties |
| 15 Nov 2018 | Nations League 2018/19 | Croatia 3-2 Spain | Croatia |
| 11 Sep 2018 | Nations League 2018/19 | Spain 6-0 Croatia | Spain |
Spain are unbeaten in the last three meetings, and the last two of those went to penalty shoot-outs that Spain won. Croatia’s wins in this fixture have come on Croatian soil, which is the detail that matters most here: they have to find a way to win in Seville, against a side that has not lost at home in nine matches. On the flip side, the 6-0 in 2018 and the 3-0 in 2024 show how wide the gap can open when Spain get the game they want.
Four Things to Watch
1. Top of the group after one night
Both sides are on three points with a goal difference of plus one, and Spain sit above Croatia only because they scored three to Croatia’s two. In a six-match league phase that sounds like a technicality, but with England and Czechia both pointless and meeting each other in the next window, whoever wins here effectively puts a two-result cushion between themselves and the rest of the group before October. Neither coach can treat this as one of six.
2. The unbeaten run, and the number 40
Spanish reporting puts De la Fuente’s side on a run of 39 matches without defeat going into this game; avoiding defeat here would make it 40. It is a run built on defence as much as possession — they conceded a single goal across the whole of the World Cup — though the two they allowed at Wembley on Saturday were a reminder that the back line is not untouchable. Croatia have scored in each of their last six matches, so the run will be tested by a side that arrives in form rather than one that arrives hoping.
3. How much De la Fuente rotates after Wembley
Pedri is expected to come back into the side, and Fermín López has a strong case after four goals and two assists for Barcelona this season. Baena and Oyarzabal both scored off the bench against England and are pushing to start. That leaves de la Fuente with a real selection problem in the front line rather than a shortage — and it means the Spain XI most outlets published on Monday should be read as a strong indication rather than a settled team.
4. Croatia’s oldest core against Spain’s youngest
Perišić and Modrić were both on the scoresheet or the assist sheet in Prague, and Kovačić remains the player who carries the ball out of pressure. Against them is a Spain side whose most dangerous player is 19 and whose centre-back pairing could be Pau Cubarsí alongside Aymeric Laporte. If Croatia can slow the game down and make it about territory rather than tempo, the age gap stops mattering. If Spain turn it into a running match, it decides the night.
Predicted Lineups
Neither side had confirmed a starting eleven at the time of writing. The Spain selection below follows the XI published by FotMob; Bolavip, Tribal Football and TipMan all publish variants that differ in the front four. The Croatia selection follows FotMob, with Tribal Football and Bolavip differing over the wide players and the centre-forward. Treat both as provisional.
Spain
- Unai Simón
- Pubill, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella
- Rodri, Pedri
- Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena
- Oyarzabal
Alternatives: Fabián Ruiz or Fermín López in midfield, Nico Williams or Ferran Torres in the front four, Huijsen at centre-back. Unavailable: Pedro Porro (muscle), Joan García (injury), Eric García (withdrawn, knee) — Robin Le Normand was called up in his place.
Croatia
- Livaković
- Stanišić, Vušković, Gvardiol, Perišić
- Modrić, Kovačić
- Luka Sučić, Petar Sučić, Ivanović
- Budimir
Alternatives: Vlašić, Kramarić or Baturina in the attacking band, Šutalo at centre-back, Matanović leading the line. Reports disagree on Baturina: one source lists him as injured, another says he missed the Czechia game through illness and is expected back. Also reported unavailable: Martin Erlić and Josip Juranović.
Key Battle: Lamine Yamal Against Ivan Perišić
It is the widest age gap on the pitch and it runs straight down one touchline. Yamal is Spain’s most reliable source of a key pass — 2.7 per 90 minutes this season, with one in nine of his last ten appearances — and Perišić, at 37, is still Croatia’s most productive wide player, averaging 1.9 key passes per 90. Whoever wins that flank decides where the game is played. If Yamal pins Perišić back, Croatia lose their best outlet on the counter and their left side becomes a defensive problem for ninety minutes. If Perišić makes the run in behind instead, Cubarsí is dragged into a footrace and Spain’s high line has to drop, which is exactly the sort of compromise that turns a Spain home win into a grind. Behind them sits the older argument: Rodri against Modrić, the player who sets Spain’s tempo against the player who has set Croatia’s for the best part of two decades.
Kit Note: Spain and Croatia, 2026/27
Spain are the deepest nation in the shop by some distance, and the rail below runs from the current home and away shirts through the number 19 print and the kids home kit to the goalkeeper shirt and the World Cup winners shirt. Croatia’s rail carries the home and away shirts for 2026/27 plus the kids home kit. Everything below is live in the shop and priced the same across every size, so browse the rails.
Spain — the current home shirt, the away shirt, the number 19 print, the kids kit, the goalkeeper shirt and the World Cup winners shirt
Swipe to browse 6 Spain shirts
Croatia — home and away for 2026/27 plus the kids home kit
Swipe to browse 3 Croatia shirts
