Croatia vs. Spain: preview and betting tips

Sunday night will be the final of the Nations League. Croatia will face Spain in the Netherlands. What can we expect from the match between two countries that few would have predicted before the tournament started?

The Croatians defeated the Dutch 4-2 after extra time in the semi-final on Wednesday. They are having a really good season, after the bronze at the World Cup in Qatar they entered the Euro qualification with four points from two matches.

Spain were lucky to knock out Italy in the semi-final, but as against Norway, they chased the win late in the game. They last notched a comfortable win six games ago, having lost and drawn twice since.

Croatia’s key figures

Luka Modric continues to shine in midfield, scoring and winning a penalty in the semi-final and picking up a 6+6 record for Real Madrid this season. In Dinamo Zagreb, winger Luka Ivanusec shone, the Dinamo Zagreb player netted 14 goals and assisted five times.

Key figures for Spain

At 33, striker Joselu shines for the national team, scoring three times in three games since his spring debut, each time from a substitute position. Winger Dani Olmo netted five goals and assisted 11 in Leipzig, Germany.

Betting tip

Croatia are consistently underrated, yet have lost only one of their last 16 games. The streak includes a win and a draw against France, two triumphs over Denmark and a penalty shootout win over Brazil to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Spain, on the other hand, have struggled away from home, winning only one of their last five matches away from home. The main reason for this is that since the days of Diego Costa, Spain have not had a striker they can rely on for the long term.

Considering the positive energy in the Croatian camp, the good results in the past and against strong teams, as well as Spain’s woes away from home, one can predict that the Croatians will not lose in regulation time.