NEW DELHI: Spain kicked off their
Euro 2024
campaign with a stellar 3-0 win against Croatia in Berlin on Saturday with
Alvaro Morata
,
Fabian Ruiz
and
Dani Carvajal
netting the goals for the 2008 and 2012 champions.
Lamine Yamal
also made history in the game, becoming the youngest player in the competition’s history.
Over the years, Spain has faced criticism for their lack of scoring in important tournaments.
However, their performance at the Olympiastadion demonstrated a strong and cohesive attack. Croatia, on the other hand, fell short against Spain's dominant play.
Morata opened the scoring in the 29th minute, marking his seventh goal in the Euros. The goal placed him alongside Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann on the all-time list.
Ruiz quickly followed up with a second goal, showcasing his individual skill with a stunning strike.
Yamal, making his mark on history, assisted Dani Carvajal with a clever play just before half-time, effectively securing Spain's lead. Croatia’s Bruno Petkovic missed a penalty late in the game.
In a rematch of last year's Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, La Roja showed they might have what it takes to claim a fourth European Championship title.
Croatia, World Cup semi-finalists, now face a challenging path to the knockout stage, with upcoming matches against Albania and defending champions Italy in Group B. Midfield maestro Luka Modric was substituted midway through the second half by coach Zlatko Dalic.
Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente’s lineup featured young wingers Nico Williams and Yamal.
At just 16 years and 338 days old, Yamal broke the record for the youngest player at a Euros, previously held by Poland's Kacper Kozlowski, who played at Euro 2020 at 17 years and 246 days old.
Croatian fans were passionate, displaying a large banner during their national anthem that read, "When we get going, heaven and earth will burn."
Despite the Croatian support, Spain took control from the start, dominating possession with their signature style.
Spain showed off their adaptability under De la Fuente with their first goal. A superb through ball from Ruiz inside his half found Morata, who confidently finished past Croatia's goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Ruiz further cemented Spain’s dominance just minutes later. He navigated through two Croatian defenders and shot through Josip Sutalo’s legs into the corner of the net.
Croatia responded almost immediately, with Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon making a quick save on Marcelo Brozovic’s shot. Lovro Majer’s rebound attempt hit the side-netting, missing a chance to narrow the gap.
Croatia continued to create opportunities. Josko Gvardiol’s cross nearly connected with Ante Budimir in the center but missed both him and the far post.
Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal sealed the game in first-half injury time.
Yamal, after collecting the ball post-corner, delivered a perfect cross for Carvajal to finish on the volley.
Croatia pushed forward early in the second half but left themselves vulnerable at the back. Yamal was close to breaking another record for the youngest Euros scorer but was thwarted by a fine save from Livakovic.
Marc Cucurella, controversially selected by De la Fuente, made a crucial block to stop Josip Stanisic from scoring and keeping Spain’s clean sheet intact.
Substitute Petkovic nearly scored a consolation goal after his penalty was saved by Simon, but it was ruled out by VAR due to encroachment by Ivan Perisic.
Spain's impressive start to Euro 2024 included not only a solid victory but also a clean sheet, highlighting their strengths in both attack and defense.
English (US) ·