BERLIN, Germany – Spain fans were outnumbered in Berlin and have generally been ignored ahead of the start of Euro 2024, but they put in a performance against Croatia on Saturday that leaves them in a strong position in Group B while They are aiming for a fourth European Championship. trophy. Whether they deserved to win 3-0 at the Olympic Stadium will be debated, but first-half goals from Álvaro Morata, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Carvajal sealed a victory that silenced the partisan atmosphere created by the approximately 50,000 Croatian fans among the 70,000 spectators. .
Heading into the competition, there was an air of uncertainty about this Spanish team and how the old and the new would come together. Young wing wizards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams provide the excitement that must be combined with the consistency (an often underrated quality) and experience of national team stalwarts like Morata and Carvajal.
Already in this tournament, Spain showed a clear level of comfort in having less possession while attacking quickly when the time comes, and everything went perfectly in the first half against Croatia. Morata scored his seventh goal of the European Championship, tying him with Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann as the tournament's third all-time leading scorer, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (14) and Michel Platini (9). Paris Saint-Germain's Ruiz had set up the first and then scored the second himself after some good footwork, but somehow it was Yamal on whom all eyes were focused once again.
The day he became the youngest player to play in a European Championship (16 years and 338 days), the Barcelona forward also became the youngest to score a goal. Cutting off his outrageously good left foot at the end of the first half, he unleashed a brilliant cross which Carvajal converted into a goal. It was a gift for the Real Madrid right-back and also a nice gift for Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, who was celebrating his birthday in the stands.
From there, it quickly became the “Yamal Show.” He should have scored when Pedri set up an assist for him after the break, but an impressive save from Dominik Livaković prevented him from scoring. He nearly scored Morata's second after receiving a penalty corner from Williams, and outpaced Manchester City's Joško Gvardiol, playing at left back, in pace throughout the match.
“Lamine continues to break records,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente after the match. “He is maturing and growing every day and is on his way to becoming a great player.”
A major defeat was not what the sizeable Croatian contingent had come to see, but one day they will be able to look back and remember fondly when they witnessed Yamal for the first time. Some estimates claimed that up to 100,000 Croatians were in Berlin for the match, and it seemed that way at times, with masses of people dressed in red and white plaid filling every corner of the city throughout the day.
They had come to see someone at the opposite end of his career, 38-year-old Luka Modrić, bring more magic. Maybe it will still happen to the midfielder in his ninth major tournament, but for now he will have to wait.
Modrić, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic won the battle for possession in midfield, but were unable to properly control the game against the energetic trio of Rodri, Ruiz and Pedri. Despite this, Zlatko Dalić's team had chances. Unai Simón saved Kovacic and Brozovic seconds after Spain's first two goals, Ante Budimir came within inches of finishing a Gvardiol cross and Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella made an impressive block to clear Josip Stanišić.
In the end, not even a penalty would give Croatia any consolation. Bruno Petković, after a foul by Rodri, saw his penalty saved by Simon, who had made a mistake in the build-up to the penalty. Petković scored with the rebound, but it was disallowed because Ivan Perišić, who returned the ball over the goal, had overstepped.
In fact, Croatia finished the match with a better xG than Spain (2.27 compared to 2.11 for La Roja), more possession and more shots. That might mean little to them and their fans in the moments after the defeat, but it may give hope to Spain's next opponents: Italy, Albania and whoever follows them in the round of 16.
However, teams must also be careful with the new Spanish variety. In the past, The Red They have been considered too predictable, with too many passes and lacking alternatives in the attacking phase. That is no longer true. Yamal and Williams not only damage themselves, but also attract defenders, which creates space for others. Perhaps that movement opened such a big gap for Morata to score the first goal.
From here, the question as the tournament progresses is obvious: what is the cost of his newfound directness? Against Croatia, they had less possession than their opponents (47%) for the first time in a competitive match since the Euro 2008 final against Germany (46%), ending a streak of 136 such matches with most of the possession. Croatia couldn't take advantage of their possession, but other teams can. If he backs Rodri, who was booked on Saturday for being one caution away from a suspension, opportunities could await.
What is clear, however, is that Spain will not be forced to stick to the style that characterized its “golden era” between 2008 and 2012, when they won a World Cup and two European Championships. Rodri stated this before the match, explaining that “the style that wins the matches” will be deployed during the tournament. That was evident against Croatia when they put forward a compelling case for why they will end up returning to Berlin for the final on July 14.
