Croatia – Spain: Records Are There To Be Broken (0-0, 4-5 After Penalties)

Two ball masters met in this final, but both have often lacked the firepower to make the most of their control. Stalemate prevailed thanks to these qualities, but only one winner could emerge after this battle. The ending proved to be a groundbreaking conclusion to a predictable turn.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Spain separated ways with Luis Enrique at the end of last year, and time will tell if it was the correct choice. His squad stalled at the final hurdle of the field— and in several tournaments— in his reign, but, equally, all is not well at the Federation behind the scenes. Yet, one matter is for sure. The nation knows no rival for mastery of ball possession. The Italians were at the mercy of their opponents for the majority of their contest in the semi-final, and domination would deliver an expected outcome.

A similar story has defined the 'Golden Generation' of Croatia. The stars remain in the middle of the park, and their gifts have taken the nation to the brink of immortality. The outfit have reached the semi-final of the previous two editions of the World Cup and are now in their second final in the last five years. All that is missing to crown their legacy is a trophy. The

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