Ahead of clash with Spain, Luka Modric surprisingly warns against Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation and has a clear goal: We want to achieve big things

Croatia is very unlucky. The small country has to fight for the next stage in the group of death at EURO 2024. But Luka Modric and co. want to go as far as possible. Already on Saturday afternoon they will face one of the biggest favourites for gold.

The most attractive group at this year’s European Championships? Definitely Group B, which includes Spain, Italy, Croatia and Albania. So the fight for qualification will be very even and challenging for all teams, at least it is expected.

However, thanks to this, we can expect a big and attractive battle on the second day of the tournament. On Saturday afternoon, Spain and Croatia will face each other. This is clearly the biggest draw of Saturday’s football programme.

Spain will be the favourite, but that doesn’t mean anything. Luka Modric has managed to surprise his country more than once. If anyone can regularly shine in big tournaments, it’s Croatia. Moreover, this is probably the last chance for the Real Madrid legend to make it big at the Euros.

It was the 38-year-old midfielder who was hounded by journalists before the game for his comments on the duel with Spain. At least one answer surprised one of the best midfielders in history.

Luka Modric warns against 16-year-old sensation

While Croatia rely primarily on their veterans, including Luka Modric, Spain have several young stars in their squad. The youngest will be Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s 16-year-old hope.

It was on the age difference between the two that Modric commented. After all, they are 22 years apart and the Croatian does not hide his astonishment. “When I hear that, I feel very old. But age doesn’t matter. It’s about what he does on the pitch. Lamine Yamal has done incredible things this season, we all see him as a big threat from Spain. He has huge potential and a great career ahead of him,” Diario AS quotes him as saying.

Yamal has hit 50 games this season in which he has scored 7 goals and also collected 10 assists.

As for Croatia, Modric is clear about his main strengths. He mentioned the unity of the whole team. But for some, this could be the last chance to succeed at the European Championships. “We may have the toughest group in the tournament, but we have shown in recent years that we can play at the highest level and that we are one of the best teams in the world. We can repeat that. We hope to achieve something significant,” says the captain.

Source: Diario AS, Transfermarkt, UEFA