Kick-off time: Saturday 15 June, 17:00, Berlin
Croatia continue to punch above their weight on the international stage and they will be hoping for a positive result when they take on Spain at the Olympiastadion, Berlin in their Euro 2024 Group B opener on Saturday.
While the Blazers have failed to get past the last-16 stage of the Euros since 2008, they have impressed in the World Cup with a runners-up finish and a third-placed effort in the last two runnings.
Those results highlight the quality they have and Zlatko Dalic's side head into this clash on the back of a 2-1 friendly victory over Portugal, extending their winning streak to six matches and sending a reminder of what they are capable of.
The Blazers proved to be tough opponents when last meeting Spain in the 2023 Nations League final, as the pair couldn't be separated after 120 goalless minutes before La Roja triumphed on penalties.
Spain have warmed up for the Euros in fantastic fashion, racking up 5-0 and 5-1 wins over Andorra and Northern Ireland respectively, but Saturday's opponents are several levels above those two nations and the three-time European champions have a habit of starting tournaments slowly.
The opening match of La Roja's last eight major events (World Cup and European Championships) have seen them record three draws, two defeats and three victories, with two of those draws coming in two of the last three editions of the Euros.
It could be a cagey opener between these two, as neither will want to make a mistake first up, and a share of the spoils wouldn't be the worst result for either side.
Another market of interest is for there to be under 2.5 goals, a bet which has landed in the opening match of Spain's last three European Championships and in the opener of Croatia's last four Euros.
Both of these teams were rock-solid at the back during qualifying, with La Roja conceding just five times as they topped Group A and the Blazers letting in a mere four strikes to help them finish second in Group D.
Spain have been racking up the goals of late, but with the exception of March's 3-3 draw against Brazil, the level of opposition have been poor and it would have been a concern had they not found the back of the net as much as they have.
Croatia will provide a stiffer test and it's notable that under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in five of their last nine assignments, while it also landed in six of their eight qualifiers.
Dalic's side are a tough nut to crack and they should make life tough for Spain, who could be frustrated for large parts and may find chances hard to come by.
Expect defences to be on top in this low-scoring affair.
Euro 2024
