Before the match began, there was chatter about a “group of death,” but Spain quickly shifted the narrative to their Euro title prospects by dominating Croatia 3-0 in their opening group game.
One of the standout moments came from Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid’s right-back, who, at 32 years and 156 days old, became Spain’s oldest scorer ever in a European Championship. Adding to that record, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal set a new mark as Spain’s youngest Euro assist provider.
Carvajal’s goal, just before halftime, followed strikes by Álvaro Morata and Fabián Ruiz. A well-executed corner play led to Carvajal’s precise finish past Dominik Livaković from the center.
In defense, Spain fielded a lineup with two graduates of Real Madrid’s academy, La Fábrica: Dani Carvajal and Nacho Fernández. They added experience alongside Real Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella.
Nacho, initially in competition with Aymeric Laporte for a starting spot, stepped up due to Laporte’s injury. His performance, including six recoveries, six clearances, and winning four of five duels, solidified his place as a leader in the defense.
On the right side, Carvajal not only scored but also won three of four duels, effectively neutralizing threats from Andrej Kramarić and Ivan Perisić. His stellar form from Real Madrid carried into the match, sparking discussions of a potential Ballon d’Or if he leads Spain to victory in Germany.
Meanwhile, for Croatia, Luka Modrić captained the side but struggled to influence the game as expected. At 38 years old, participating in his fifth Euros, he was substituted just after the hour mark after a subdued performance, winning only one of five duels and losing possession more than usual.
Despite maintaining a 90% pass completion rate, Modrić’s impact was limited, and Croatia’s midfield failed to meet the standards set by their passionate fans at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Even with Modrić off the field, Croatia had a chance to turn things around in the 80th minute, but Bruno Petković missed from the penalty spot, denied by a superb save from Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simón, thwarting their comeback hopes.