Croatia vs Spain Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

Croatia and Spain were the second-placed teams in their respective groups at EURO 2020, and that has earned them the right to enter the knockout stage. Croatia played solid during those three games, increasing its form as time went by. On the other hand, the Spaniards looked pretty unstable and helpless upfront up until the most recent contest against Slovakia. But to be honest, even then, the Red Fury had a lot of luck. 

Preview

Croatia 

After losing to England in the opener, 1-0, then playing 1-1 against the Czech Republic, Croatia was victorious against Scotland at Hampden, 3-1. 

Once Luka Modric took over, the Croatians immediately started pounding, outplaying the Scots in every aspect of play. Real Madrid’s star scored one of the best goals during this tournament, and besides that, perfectly organized the midfield of this group. It is really no wonder why he is still one of the best players in the world.

Zlatko Dalic’s team plays cautious football, not allowing that the intensity on the pitch increases too much. Croatia knows to control the rhythm, which is, in fact, their biggest weapon, of course, along with Modric. Overall, this team’s games are usually low-scoring affairs, and only two of the last eight ended with three or more goals. 

Spain

Even though they posted the biggest win at EURO, we are not thrilled with the way Red Fury played so far. A goalless game against Sweden and another draw against Poland are not enough for us to put them in the contender’s basket. 

They play dull, and that is a fact. Even though they have possession and have a high percentage of accurate passing and all sorts of other statistical advantages, Spain is impotent in the offense. 

We’ll see Luis Enrique’s decision and what happens with Alvaro Morata, who wasted so many good chances in this EURO, bringing nothing but frustration to the Spanish fans. Though, we need to say a few positive words on the Spanish defense, which allowed just one goal in the past five events. 

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Croatia vs Spain Possible-Lineups

Croatia: Livakovic; Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Gvardiol; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Vlasic, Petkovic, Perisic

Spain: Simon; Azpilicueta, Laporte, Torres, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Koke; Sarabia, Morata, G Moreno

Croatia vs Spain Head to Head

The last meetings between Croatia and Spain were in 2018. That year we saw two clashes in the UEFA Nations League. In the first one in Spain, the hosts obliterated the guests, 6-0. After that, Croatia saved its honor at home, winning 3-2. 

Croatia vs Spain Pick

We expect to see one very tight and tactical matchup without too many goals. Both Croatia and Spain have much better defenses than offenses, suggesting that betting on under 2.5 goals would be very safe. 

Also, in our opinion, both teams not scoring would be good as well. The team that scores will immediately become ultra-defensive, reducing the chances for more goals. It is something that we frequently witnessed in the previous respective games these teams played.

Our verdict: under 2.5 goals

Croatia vs Spain Odds