Croatia vs Spain - prediction, team news, lineups

Free-scoring Spain and free-conceding Croatia reason their September/October planetary breaks connected Tuesday evening successful League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League.

The 2 rivals reunite astatine the Stadion Poljud successful Split, soon aft La Roja's 4-1 triumph connected September 29 preceded an adjacent much embarrassing evening for Slaven Bilic.

Match preview

Accustomed to entertaining and competitory clashes with England successful caller times - from the 2018 World Cup semi-final and Euro 2020 group-stage showdown, to the six-goal World Cup 2026 thriller conscionable a fewer months backmost - Croatia were sensationally ripped to shreds by the Three Lions connected Saturday evening.

Braces from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, alongside strikes from Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon, propelled England to a record-breaking 7-0 win, 1 which marked an unwanted archetypal for the Chequered Ones.

Saturday's scarcely believable effect represented Croatia's biggest-ever men's defeat, arsenic good arsenic the archetypal clip successful past that they had conceded 5 goals successful a location match, arsenic the thousands of schoolchildren permitted to ticker the 'behind closed doors' contention headed location shell-shocked.

Now reeling from back-to-back defeats with a staggering 11 goals conceded, Croatia prevarication 3rd successful the League A Group 4 standings, 3 points wide of pointless Czechia and facing an identical shortage to second-placed England.

Bilic could bash small but apologise to the federation aft Saturday's historical mauling, which has contributed heavy to Croatia shipping the associated second-most goals successful the 2026-27 Nations League with 12, lone superior to San Marino's 14.

From the second-worst antiaircraft squad to the second-strongest attacking unit, Spain joined England successful hitting the 10-goal people connected Saturday night, proving a people supra a 10-man Czechia team.

Lamine Yamal's sixth-minute opener preceded further strikes from midfield duo Rodri and Mikel Merino, with a Jiri Slama effect and Ladislav Krejci reddish paper sandwiched successful betwixt the 2 fulcrum's efforts successful Oviedo.

Three for 3 successful the Nations League and comfortably apical of the Group 3 standings, the satellite champions' bonzer unbeaten tally present stands astatine 41 matches crossed each competitions, and each of their past 10 games has ended successful victory.

Moreover, Luis de la Fuente's men are present unbeaten successful 16 consecutive Nations League games - excluding punishment shootout defeats - the longest specified tally of immoderate squad since the competition's inception successful 2018.

Records proceed to tumble astatine the feet of the planetary conquerors, whose 4-1 occurrence implicit Croatia successful September marked their 4th consecutive triumph against the hosts, who person conceded astatine slightest doubly successful 5 of their past six meetings with Spain.

Croatia Nations League form:

Croatia signifier (all competitions):

Spain Nations League form:

Spain signifier (all competitions):

Team News

The 1 affirmative from Croatia 0-7 England for the location broadside was nary caller wounded concerns for Bilic,  though 5 players stay astatine hazard of suspension - Luka Vuskovic, Marco Pasalic, Josip Misic, Petar Sucic and Martin Pongracic.

However, the second was absent from the matchday squad connected Saturday alongside Lovro Majer, Ante Budimir and Dion Drena Beljo, with Bilic forced to omit 4 players from his 23-man group.

The quality of Saturday's shocking show could pb to a reprieve for 1 oregon more, though Luka Modric - brought disconnected earlier the hr against England - should beryllium retained for his 206th cap.

On Spain's end, De la Fuente brought disconnected some Yamal and Alex Baena astatine fractional clip against Czechia, though some changes were tactical alternatively than indicative of an wounded occupation for either man.

Pau Cubarsi's full lack was besides simply a substance of recovery, but La Roja were deed with a fewer withdrawals earlier kickoff, though - Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Alex Grimaldo each dropped out.

Nevertheless, De la Fuente tin spend to rotate his resources erstwhile more, having made a staggering 9 alterations to his XI for the triumph implicit Czechia.

Croatia imaginable starting lineup:

Livakovic; Smolcic, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Ivanovic, Mario Pasalic, Vlasic; Matanovic

Spain imaginable starting lineup:

Simon; Fresneda, Cubarsi, Huijsen, Cucurella; Lopez, Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Munoz

We say: Croatia 0-3 Spain

A gathering with the satellite champions soon aft an unprecedented decision is simply a look for catastrophe for Croatia, but determination ought to beryllium nary repetition of Saturday's annihilation aft that highly harsh wake-up call.

Nevertheless, Bilic's leaky men inactive person small accidental of causing an upset against De la Fuente's ruthless Roja, who are backed to widen their 100% grounds with ease.

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