In the semi-finals, Croatia defeated the Netherlands 4-2, while Spain earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Italy to secure their place in the final. Despite the Netherlands having the home advantage and scoring the first goal through Donyell Malen, they couldn't hold on for the full 90 minutes against Croatia. Andrej Kramaric's penalty and Mario Pasalic's volley turned the game around for Croatia. Noa Lang managed to equalize for the Netherlands in the last moments of regular time, but Croatia dominated in extra time, with Bruno Petkovic's long-range goal and Luka Modric's penalty securing their spot in the final.
Croatia, led by the experienced Luka Modric, who displayed his skills in the semi-finals, reached the final for the second time. Their previous final appearance was in Russia five years ago, where they unfortunately lost 4-2 to France.
Croatia initially struggled in the Nations League, earning only one point from their first two group matches. However, they have since won five consecutive games in the competition, scoring at least two goals in each of their last three matches. However, they have also been unable to keep a clean sheet during that period.
Croatia has shown resilience in games that go beyond 90 minutes, winning their last three matches that went into extra time or penalties. They displayed their composure in penalty shootouts against Japan and Brazil in the 2022 World Cup. However, it is worth noting that their last defeat after regular time was a surprising loss to Scotland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
On the other hand, Spain, under the leadership of new coach Luis de la Fuente, had a positive response in their semi-final against Italy. Spain's early pressure led to an own goal by Leonardo Bonucci, and Yeremy Pino took advantage of the opportunity. However, Robin Le Normand's handball allowed Ciro Immobile to equalize from the penalty spot. As the game progressed, Spain looked more likely to score, and they eventually found the net through a fortunate deflection off Italian defenders, allowing Joselu to secure their place in the final with a close-range finish.
Spain has been searching for their first major trophy since their Euro 2012 triumph. Although they reached the final of a major tournament two years ago, they only managed to win a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Luis de la Fuente has previously achieved success with Spain's Under-19 and Under-21 teams, winning the European Championships in 2015 and 2019 respectively. Spain also eliminated Croatia from Euro 2020 with an exciting 5-3 victory after extra time.
Spain has had recent success against Croatia, winning two out of their last three encounters, including a remarkable 6-0 victory in the inaugural Nations League. However, Croatia avenged that loss with a 3-2 victory in November 2018. The Croatian team, with its aging stars, understands that this final may be their last opportunity to win a major international trophy.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Croatia's centre-back, Josip Sutalo, seemed a bit injured when he was substituted before extra time against the Netherlands. However, there is currently no indication that the defender, who has been linked to Arsenal, will have to miss the final. This is good news for coach Dalic, especially with Josko Gvardiol already out due to injury.Fortunately, Croatia didn't have any major concerns after their match on Wednesday. Dalic now faces a pleasant problem in deciding who to choose up front. Andrej Kramaric will be looking to keep his place in the starting lineup and fend off the competition from Bruno Petkovic, who has been effective as a substitute, as seen in the World Cup quarter-finals against Brazil.
Luka Modric, despite his 37 years, managed to play the entire 119 minutes in Wednesday's victory and continues to perform at a high level. The Real Madrid midfielder is expected to wear the captain's armband right from the start, despite the short break between matches.
Spain also emerged unscathed from their semi-final against Italy, although they had previously lost Juan Bernat, David Garcia, and Nico Williams to injuries earlier this month. Rodrigo, the attacker from Leeds United, could only last until halftime in the semi-final.
As a result, Marco Asensio is likely to return to the attack, but Joselu's late winning goal may not be enough to replace Alvaro Morata as the main striker.
Jesus Navas, surprisingly starting ahead of Dani Carvajal, became the oldest Spanish male player to participate in a competitive match since 2004. The 37-year-old Sevilla veteran may have done well enough to earn another start in the final.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Croatia possible starting lineup:Livakovic; Juranovic, Vida, Sutalo, Perisic; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Ivanusec
Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Navas, Le Normand, Laporte, Alba; Merino, Rodri; Asensio, Gavi, Pino; Morata
EXPERT PREDICTION
Croatia 1 Vs Spain 1 (Croatia To Win On Penalties)
Expectations for a boring, goalless match between these teams should be thrown out the window, given the remarkable 22 goals scored in their previous four encounters. Both Spain and Croatia have shown their attacking prowess, with Spain creating numerous chances against Italy and Croatia displaying clinical finishing against the Netherlands.
Predicting a clear winner in a regular 90-minute or extended 120-minute match is extremely difficult, and it wouldn't be surprising if this game goes into extra time. However, considering that Croatia has an extra day of rest and the presence of penalty-saving expert Dominik Livakovic guarding the goal, it might just be Croatia's moment to shine.
