Spain kicked off their quest for a fourth European Championship title with a commanding victory over Croatia at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Early goals from Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Carvajal essentially decided the match before halftime. Despite a lackluster showing from Croatia, this performance by La Roja was a powerful statement of intent.
In an historic moment, 16-year-old Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to ever participate in the men’s Euros. However, it was Spain’s veteran players who took center stage, with Morata opening the scoring. Ruiz, after collecting the ball at the halfway line, delivered a precise pass that allowed Morata to charge forward and score his 36th international goal, silencing the Croatian supporters who had gathered in Germany’s capital.
The breakthrough came nearly half an hour into the game, but Spain only needed three more minutes to double their lead. Ruiz added to the score by weaving past two defenders at the edge of the area and unleashing a shot that deflected off Josip Sutalo before finding the back of the net.
Croatia had a brief moment of hope when Josko Gvardiol’s powerful shot narrowly missed a connection with Ante Budimir and drifted wide. However, Spain kept up the pressure and sealed the match in first-half stoppage time. A cross from Yamal, who was prominent throughout the game, was converted by Carvajal, who had lingered in the box following a corner.
The second half saw Spain continue their attacking play, with Yamal coming close to scoring but being denied by a fantastic save from Dominik Livakovic. Croatia’s frustrations were compounded when Bruno Petkovic’s late penalty was saved by Unai Simon. The video assistant referee then disallowed Petkovic’s follow-up attempt due to encroachment.
As Croatia looks to recover from this defeat in their next match against Albania in Hamburg, Spain will prepare for a highly anticipated showdown against defending champions Italy in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday.
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