Croatia – Spain: Merino Masterminds Another Victory (1-2)

They say that pressure bursts pipes or make diamonds… and Croatia came away from this battle with some belief that jewels might be forged out of the next generation of their players. Spain stole all three points, but the hosts produced a performance that contrasted with a dismal defeat only days prior, forcing the favorites to call on their ultimate trump card to tip the tide.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Croatia continue to be asked questions about their capacity to follow on from the ‘Golden Generation’ of the last decade. A 2-1 victory over Czechia marked the beginning of a second spell in the dugout for Slaven Bilić, but that moment has quickly been forgotten. The Spaniards swept them aside on Tuesday, then a record-breaking 7-0 rout at the hands of England occurred behind closed doors on Saturday. So, the country could not have imagined a worst moment for their next challenge to come.

Spain have settled into their status as World Cup champions with consummate ease. Their defensive stability set the foundation for a successful title charge in the summer, but it is the sustained stylistic strength with which they strangle and dispatch opponents that has caught the eye in the last fortnight.