Spain beats Croatia in first half madness

Spain versus Croatia was the first match neutrals really looked forward to. Both teams are filled with quality players and are expected to go far in this tournament. It’s the first real big clash during the Euro 2024 tournament. Group B is one of the toughest groups with also Italy and Albania in this group. This first match in group B is the perfect opportunity to make a mark on this tournament.

Spain dominates

Spain started this match like we all know Spain. Taking control over the ball and dominating possession. Croatia set back and let Spain come. Pretty much halfway the first half Croatia started to get a bit more adventurous and immediately got punished. Alvaro Morata opened the score on the counterattack in the 29th minute. Only three minutes later Fabian Ruiz doubled the score. Spain slowed down a bit with this comfortable score. Until just before half-time when Daniel Carvajal scored from a perfect cross by Lamine Yamal.

Missed opportunity

The second half of this match was a lot less interesting compared to the first one. Until the 80th minute, when Croatia got a penalty due to a foul in the box by Rodri. Petkovic took his responsibility but unfortunately, he failed. Unai Simon stopped the penalty and hit the ball in front of Perisic. The veteran played the ball back to Petkovic who netted the 3-1 eventually. However, a VAR review noticed Perisic was already in the box before Petkovic kicked the penalty. So, the goal was cancelled, and Spain got a free kick. This was the final big moment in the game. Spain is happy with a 3-0 win; Croatia has a tough nut to crack in the remainder of the tournament after this defeat. The future will proof if any of these nations is able to get to the Euro 2024 final!