Euro 2024: Spain overwhelms Croatia and warns Italy

Euro 2024: Spain overwhelms Croatia and warns Italy'Italy

At the’Olympiastadion in Berlin, Spain overwhelms Croatia 3-0 in the first match of Group B of the European Championships and sends a very clear message to everyone, first and foremost to’Italy, which è in the same group and which tonight will be engaged with’Albania.

The first attempt è by Morata, who on 7’ forces with his left Livakovic to block in the dive. Then, after a long phase without chances, è just the ex-Juventino to unlock the result at 29’ when, launched on a counterattack by Fabian Ruiz, does not miss piercing Livakovic. Kovacic’s immediate reply but his left-footed shot was blocked throughout by Unai Simon.

On 32’ the red furies’ double with Fabian Ruiz who from the edge almost dribbles sé himself and then with his left hand impeccably beats Livakovic even with a slight deflection. Another Croatia retaliation in a match that suddenly became beautiful: Brozovic tries a left-footed shot from the limit, Simon miraculously repels in the dive, then Majer sends the tap-in on the’outside of the net.

On 42’ another chance for Croatia with a left-footed shot by Gvardiol from the left on Majer’s cross from the right, Simon misses but no Croatian gets there to deflect the ball into the net. Croatia continues to make mistakes, Spain continues to score: in the second minute of added time Yamal crosses from the right and Carvajal, the match winner of the Champions League final for Real Madrid, with his right-footed volley scores 3-0.

In the resumption, at 52’ Yamal, the youngest participant in a final phase of a European Championship, tries to place his left footer from inside the area but Livakovic denies the Iberians poker. On 55’ Stanisic’s close-range right-footer, Cucurella clears with Simon beaten and then Budimir’s header misses the target.

Those from 78’ to’81’ are surreal minutes. A glaring mistake by Simon propitiates a foul by Rodri on Petkovic, who accentuates the fall, but the referee awards the penalty. Petkovic himself has it parried by Simon, but on the rebound comes Perisic, who sends back in the middle for Petkovic, who deflects into the net. But the referee incredibly cancels because Perisic had entered the box with one foot before Petkovic kicked the penalty. From this moment the game è practically over.