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Sparks will fly as Spain and Croatia lock horns in the second round of the UEFA Nations League at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Tuesday.
Croatia kicked off their campaign with a victory and will be eyeing their biggest win in 18 months.
Spain, meanwhile, will look to extend their winning streak across all competitions to nine games.
Read our Spain vs Croatia prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Spain vs Croatia key stats
- Five of Croatia's last six matches featured goals at both ends.
- At least three goals were scored in five of the last six encounters between these teams.
- Spain have won their last three clashes with Croatia.
Spain vs Croatia preview: Business as usual for La Roja?
Spain vs Croatia — Tale of the Tape
| Spain | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (Group A) | Position | 2nd (Group A) |
| 3 | Points | 3 |
| 3 | Goals For | 2 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 1 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 1st | Home / Away Rank | 2nd |
*These figures were accurate at the time of publishing.
Fresh off their World Cup win, Spain started their Nations League campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 comeback victory against England over the weekend.
Luis De La Fuente's troops have simply been unstoppable in recent years; they are currently on an eight-match winning streak and a 19-game unbeaten run.
Interestingly, La Roja have lost only once in their last 39 matches across all competitions, with that lone defeat coming via a penalty shootout in the final of the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League.
Spain were undefeated in 19 consecutive matches prior to that painful shootout defeat. Now back on track, the world champions will be aiming to reach 20 games unbeaten for the first time since June 2018.
In addition to being world and European champions, Spain have also been one of the most successful teams in the history of this competition, having featured in the last three Nations League finals and winning one of them.
Pedro Porro, Gavi, and Borja Iglesias are all unavailable this window due to injury and fitness issues. Meanwhile, Espanyol striker Roberto Fernandez is one of two uncapped players in the squad, earning a potential debut after scoring six goals in seven La Liga matches.
After suffering a round-of-32 exit at the hands of Portugal at the World Cup, Croatia kickstarted their Nations League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Czechia.
Zlatko Dalic's side have proven to be one of the most durable teams in world football over the last decade, having reached the finals of both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Nations League during that stretch.
Croatia's last Nations League final appearance came against Spain, who edged them in a tense penalty shootout in June 2023. Martin Baturina and Martin Erlic are unavailable this window due to injuries.
Legendary midfielder Luka Modric remains a key member of the Vatreni, with the 41-year-old scoring his 30th goal for the national team against Czechia on Saturday. The clash against Spain will mark his 204th appearance for his country.
It is worth mentioning that Spain were victorious in their last three encounters with Croatia, although only one of those wins came in regulation time.
Spain vs Croatia form guide & betting tips
| Spain | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
W
|
UEFA Nations League Form | W
|
| 3 | Goals For | 2 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 1 |
W
W
W
W
W
|
Form (All Comps) |
L
W
W
L
W
|
Whispers Predicts: Spain 3-1 Croatia
Priced at 1/4 (1.25), Spain are considered favourites by the bookmakers ahead of this skirmish.
La Roja have won eight games in a row, and having won the last three meetings between these outfits, we are confident that the hosts will earn a fairly comfortable victory here.
Both teams were on the scoresheet in five of Croatia's last six outings and this can be backed at 6/5 (2.20).
We also fancy Croatia to score first at 3/1 (4.00). The visitors drew first blood in five of their last six fixtures.
> Over 2.5 total goals at 1/2 (1.50) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Probable
> HT result: Draw at 21/10 (3.10) | Likelihood: Possible
> Spain & BTTS – Yes at 9/5 (2.80) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 3-1 at 10/1 (11.00) | Likelihood: Outsider