Goals from Álvaro Morata, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Carvajal put the opening Group B game well beyond the reach of Zlatko Dalić’s side.
The second half produced a tightly contested forty-five minutes, Croatia denied a consolation goal after converting a rebounded penalty effort after VAR noticed encroachment prior to the spot-kick being taken.
Spain
Unai Simón - 8/10
He was called upon numerous times in the opening half, making strong saves to deny both Kovačić and Brozović. It was his mistake that led to the Croatian penalty, but he made up for it with an excellent save, the converted rebound denied for encroachment. Involved in a lot of the action, it was a busy, but successful outing for the Athletic Club man.
Daniel Carvajal - 8.5/10
An impeccable all-round display from the man who scored in the Champions League final. He took his goal with incredible instinct, arriving just in time to ease the ball beyond Livaković to extend La Roja’s lead to three goals. He also showed his class defensively, chesting the ball back to Simon on one occasion to nullify a promising Croatia attack.
Nacho Fernández - 7/10
A classy performance from the Real Madrid man. Comfortable on the ball and strong in his defensive duels, however he gave up possession in the box which almost saw Croatia score. A slight shade on an otherwise strong performance.
Robin Le Normand - 6.5/10
The French turned Spanish central defender stood up well to the task in his side’s opening fixture, defending with confidence and authority. Winning the majority of his aerial duels, it was those battles on the ground which he struggled in, winning none of his four duels. Nevertheless, a strong performance.
Marc Cucurella - 7/10
Preferred to the highly rated Alejandro Grimaldo, Cucurella defended well against a threatening Lovro Majer. He excels when playing the ball down the wings, and provided brilliant service for both wingers as they switched sides.
Pedri - 7.5/10
Replaced just before the hour mark, the Barcelona youngster put up a perfect 100% pass accuracy, assisting Fabián Ruiz’s goal with a smart infield pass under pressure. His performance went slightly unnoticed in this game, a testament to his error-free play.
Rodri - 7.5/10
A stellar performance prior to the final ten minutes. After he conceded the penalty, his passing seemed to go amiss, gifting possession to his opponents who looked to snatch a late consolation. He was withdrawn in the 86th minute after going down with a knock, which de la Fuente will be hoping is not too serious.
Fabián Ruiz - 8.5/10
Fabián may go unnoticed amongst a midfield with Pedri and Rodri, but he stepped up to provide an inch perfect through ball for the opening goal. He then demonstrated his technical ability, shifting the ball onto his left foot just inside the box before slamming his finish into the bottom corner. A confident, complete performance from the Paris Saint Germain midfielder.
Lamine Yamal - 8.5/10
He took his time to grow into the game, but held a consistent threat throughout the first half, culminating in Spain’s third goal when he whipped a deadly cross into Carvajal to nail the Croatian coffin. The second half was all about the 16-year-old, terrorising the Croatian defence with his acceleration and dribbling ability. The Croatian defence would’ve been relieved to see him withdrawn in the 86th minute.
Álvaro Morata - 7.5/10
What Morata lacks in pace and explosivity, he makes up for with his intelligence and lethal finishing ability. He took his goal with elite composure to put his team ahead. His goal was his only major involvement in the game, withdrawn in the 68th minute, as he appeared to be struggling with an injury.
Nico Williams JR - 7/10
Whilst he wasn’t able to light up the game in the same way as Yamal, Williams JR did pose a threat to the Croatian backline. His pace is electric and he had Josip Stanišić on the backfoot whenever he was on the ball.
Substitutes
Dani Olmo - 5/10
As Croatia tended to damage limitation, it was difficult for Olmo to enter the frame and really impact the game. The RB Leipzig man looked positive on the ball, creating a good chance for himself which he failed to find the target with.
Mikel Merino - 5.5/10
Whilst he added energy to a tiring Spanish midfield, Merino struggled to impact the pattern of the game. He gave up possession four times and committed two fouls, which played into Croatia’s late rally.
Mikel Oyarzabal - 5.5/10
A hat trick in the warmup game against Andorra, Oyarzabal would have been hoping to provide slightly more threat in the 25 minutes he played. However, as the game entered the latter stages, it was evident that the scoreline would likely remain unchanged.
Martin Zubimendi - N/A
Ferran Torres - N/A
Croatia
Dominik Livaković - 5/10
Whilst Livaković has often been a strong pair of hands behind the Croatian defence in previous tournaments, he looked a shadow of his former self in this game. He failed to prevent any of the Spanish goals, attempts which he could have done better with, especially the opening goal. His passing was also below par, with just a 69% accuracy, the majority of his passes being out to his defensive teammates.
Joško Gvardiol - 7/10
Coming off the back of an incredible debut season at Manchester City, Gvardiol looked to threaten his Spanish opponents as he was deployed at left back for Zlatko Dalić’s side. He had a strong chance in the first half when he delivered a powerful ball across the goal which was begging for a tap-in. Yamal got the better of him too, although the youngster will undoubtedly cause issues for every defence he faces.
Marin Pongračić - 6.5/10
A busy game for the Lecce man, with eight defensive contributions. He was dribbled past two times, once for the second Spain goal as he failed to intervene and prevent Ruiz’s weaving run. He also lost possession a devastating 10 times, reflecting the performance of his side.
Josip Šutalo - 7/10
Ajax’s central defender had a quietly solid game, winning nine of his eleven ground duels. Boasting a 96% pass accuracy, he was one of the positives in an otherwise disappointing performance.
Josip Stanišić - 6.5/10
Similarly to Gvardiol, Stanišić had a tough time against Williams JR down the Croatian right-hand side. He lost possession fourteen times, again reflecting the dominance Spain had when pressuring the Croatian backline.
Mateo Kovačić - 7/10
The Manchester City man looked to carry one of the biggest threats for his side, carrying the ball forward with his power and poise. He was slightly greedy at times however, opting to shoot from range when he had teammates in good positions either side of him.
Marcelo Brozović - 7/10
At the base of midfield, Brozović had a quiet game. He was not as combative as he has been in previous tournaments, the game bypassing him at times. However, he was the springboard for his side’s attacking play, a 95% pass accuracy demonstrating that he has not lost his quality on the ball over his time in the Saudi Pro League.
Luka Modrić - 6.5/10
Playing deep alongside Brozović, the evergreen Real Madrid man was second best to multiple loose balls in central areas. His passing, as always, was excellent, however he was caught in possession six times, perhaps further demonstrating the dominance of the Spanish side.
Andrej Kramarić - 5/10
The highlight of his game was a long range effort which sailed well wide. He failed to get on the ball in dangerous positions and therefore struggled to impact the game with any sort of threat.
Ante Budimir - 5/10
Offered very little in a game where Croatia were desperate for an outlet. He touched the ball just twelve times, and 25% pass accuracy was not good enough to create any strong chances for his side.
Lovro Majer - 7/10
Without question the most promising attacking outlet for Croatia, Majer started the game well. He caused issues for Cucurella who struggled to contain the VFL Wolfsburg man, as he created a handful of openings down the right hand side. His defensive contribution was a testament to his workrate, winning four ground duels. He missed one of the best chances his side created when he failed to convert at the back post from a tight angle.
Substitutes
Ivan Perisic - 6/10
He entered the pitch a frustrated figure, initially readied at halftime but his introduction delayed until the 56th minute. He had three shots on goal, drawing a relatively comfortable save from the best part of 35-yards.
Luka Sučić - N/A
Mario Pašalić - N/A
Bruno Petković - 5/10
He got himself into good positions when he came on, causing problems for Spain with his physical presence. It was his pressure which led to Simón’s mistake, winning the penalty for himself. However, he was prevented from converting the spot kick as Simón saved well to his right hand side.
