Spain‘s Emphatic Start
Spain made an emphatic start to their quest to win a fourth European Championship with an impressive victory over Croatia at Olympiastadion Berlin. The match was essentially settled before the break with first-half goals by Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Carvajal. This victory must still go down as a statement win for La Roja, even though Croatia offered little resistance.
Historic Moment for Lamine Yamal
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal became the youngest player in men’s Euros history when he started the game at the age of 16 years and 338 days. However, it was Spain’s most experienced player who gave them the lead, silencing the Croatian fans who had poured into Germany’s capital for the weekend. Ruiz collected the ball on the halfway line and had time to look up and thread a perfect pass for Morata, who galloped through and slotted past Dominik Livakovic.
Spain‘s Unstoppable Attack
After waiting almost half an hour for the breakthrough, Luis de la Fuente’s side took just over three minutes to extend their lead. This time, it was Ruiz who found the net, beating two men when he was fed the ball on the edge of the area and firing in a shot that nicked off Josip Sutalo on its way past Livakovic. Despite Croatia coming close to pulling a goal back, Spain continued to attack and wrapped up the points in first-half stoppage time when Yamal’s cross was turned home by Carvajal. A goal for the teenager to go with that assist was all that was missing, with Livakovic superbly denying him from close range early in the second half.
Challenges Ahead
Croatia’s disappointing day got even worse when Bruno Petkovic saw his late penalty saved by Simon and then the video assistant referee disallowed his follow-up for encroachment into the area. The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists must try to kickstart their Group B campaign when they face Albania in Hamburg on Thursday. On the same day, Spain will face holders Italy in a mouth-watering clash in Gelsenkirchen.
