class=”article_teaser__2t5do”>Dalic's men triumphed when these two nations met at the previous European Championships but Goal is backing La Roja to come out on top at Euro 2020
Spain face Croatia in the last-16 of Euro 2020 on Monday with Luis Enrique’s men aiming to build on their impressive win in their final group game against Slovakia.
La Roja recorded a 5-0 success on Wednesday night, the biggest victory of the competition so far, and the result has gone a long way to restoring the team’s confidence after a pair of sub-par performances against Sweden and Poland.
Croatia, meanwhile, secured a spot in the knockout stages with a 3-1 win over Scotland, although that was only their third victory in their last 11 matches.
Croatia vs Spain Latest Odds
The runners up from the 2018 World Cup are clear outsiders on Monday evening, with bet365 offering Croatia at 5/1 (6.00) to win in 90 minutes and 5/2 (3.50) to qualify.
Spain, for their part, are priced at 3/5 (1.60) to win without extra time and at 2/7 (1.28) to progress with the draw at 27/10 (3.70).
Croatia vs Spain Team News
Luis Enrique made changes for the final group game with Eric Garcia coming in at centre back to replace Pau Torres, while Cesar Azpilicueta replaced Marcos Llorente at right-back.
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It remains to be seen whether the manager reverts to his original back four, while up-front Pablo Sarabia impressed with a goal and will be hoping to fight off competition from Ferran Torres for a starting berth alongside Alvaro Morata and Gerard Moreno.
Croatia are without defender Dejan Lovren after the former Liverpool man picked up two yellow cards in the group stages whilst Ivan Perisic is unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19.
Croatia vs Spain Preview
Both sides put in strong performances in the final group games yet will be acutely aware that the difficulty of opponent will significantly increase on Monday afternoon.
Despite the 5-0 thrashing of Slovakia, question marks remain over Spain’s ability to be clinical in the final third, with Luis Enrique’s men only scoring two or more goals in four of their last 13 games.
At the very least, though, La Roja are difficult to beat, losing just one game in three years – during which time they have avoided defeat against the likes of Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
They might not dazzle often, but they are a tough opponent and Spain will once look to dictate the tempo of the game through possession.
Croatia, for their part, are not the strongest outfit defensively with their only two clean sheets in the last 19 matches coming against Cyprus and Malta.
That run has seen them concede four goals against France and Portugal and three goals against Turkey, and while Spain are not the most prolific side, they certainly look like a stronger unit than Zlatko Dalic’s men.
Croatia vs Spain Tips and Predictions
Spain to win and under 3.5 goals is priced at 6/5 (2.20) which is an appealing option, while backing La Roja to keep their third clean sheet of the tournament at 9/10 (1.90) could also be of interest.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.