If there was speculation about a “group of death” prior to kickoff, Spain decisively shifted the focus to their prospects of winning the European Championship by defeating Croatia 3-0 in their first group stage match, marking a flawless beginning.

Among the scorers was Real Madrid’s right-back Dani Carvajal, who, at 32 years and 156 days, became Spain’s oldest ever goal scorer in a European Championship. Adding to that milestone, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal provided the assist, becoming Spain’s youngest player ever to assist at a Euro tournament.

Carvajal’s goal arrived just before halftime, following strikes from Álvaro Morata and Fabián Ruiz. The goal stemmed from a corner routine that involved quick passes, with Carvajal perfectly timing his run to slot the ball past Dominik Livaković from a central position.

In defense, Spain’s lineup crafted by Luis de la Fuente included two graduates of Real Madrid’s youth academy, La Fábrica: Dani Carvajal and Nacho Fernández. Together, they brought experience and quality to a backline completed by Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad and Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.

Nacho, initially in competition with Aymeric Laporte of Al Nassr for a starting role, seized the opportunity due to Laporte’s injury. His performance, marked by six recoveries, six clearances, and winning four out of five duels, asserted his candidacy as a primary choice. He displayed leadership, a quality sometimes lacking in the defensive unit.

On the right flank, Carvajal not only scored but also won three of his four duels, effectively neutralizing threats from Andrej Kramarić and Ivan Perisić. His excellent form from the latter part of the Real Madrid season prompted discussions about a potential Ballon d’Or nomination if he leads Spain to success in Germany.

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Regarding Croatia, Luka Modrić wore the captain’s armband, aiming to lead by example. At 38 years old and participating in his fifth European Championship, he did not perform at his peak in a team that failed to meet fan expectations at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Modrić was substituted just after the hour mark after winning only one of five duels and showing uncharacteristic sloppiness in possession. Despite a 90% pass completion rate, his overall impact fell short. The Croatia midfield, overall, underperformed, necessitating more from the captain if they hope to progress beyond the early stages of the tournament.

Even with Modrić off the field, Croatia had an opportunity to make a comeback in the 80th minute, but Bruno Petković saw his penalty saved by Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simón, preventing their chance to narrow the deficit.