Croatia will host Spain in a must-win UEFA Nations League Group A3 encounter on Tuesday evening, knowing that defeat will dent their chances of progression.
The home team are coming off a depressing 7-0 demolition by England, after already losing 4-1 to Spain in the reverse fixture in Seville.
The World Champions have been unstoppable so far in the group, winning all three games – scoring 10 goals in the process.
Croatia opened the Nations League with a promising 2-1 victory over Czechia, but subsequent defeats to Spain and England have exposed serious defensive problems.
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The 7-0 defeat to England was particularly damaging. It was Croatia’s heaviest-ever loss and left them having conceded 12 goals in three Nations League matches.
Can Croatia bounce back to keep alive their hopes of progression or will England make it three wins in three to keep the pressure on leaders Spain?
What time does Croatia vs Spain start?
The match kicks off at 9:45PM E.A.T at the Stadion Poljud
Croatia vs Spain team news
There are no major fresh injury concerns for the hosts, although several players are carrying suspension risks.
Luka Vuskovic, Marco Pasalic, Josip Misic, Petar Sucic and Martin Pongracic are among those at risk.
Luka Modric was withdrawn before the hour mark against England but is expected to retain his place and could win his 206th international cap.
Lovro Majer and Ante Budimir were left out of the last game and are both expected to return to the starting lineup here.
As for Spain, Ferran Torres has withdrawn from the squad, while Nico Williams and Alex Grimaldo are also unavailable.
Despite the need to rotate the squad, Lamine Yamal has been the most instrumental scoring in every match and he is set to start again here.
Daniel Munoz and Pedri are the two names expected to be included in the starting XI while the rest of the side remains unchanged.
Croatia vs Spain head-to-head and current form
Spain have generally enjoyed the better record in this fixture.
Their most recent meeting was particularly one-sided, with Spain winning 4-1 in Seville.
The victory continued Spain’s excellent recent record against Croatia, with La Roja having also defeated them in the Euro 2024 final, while Croatia famously defeated Spain on penalties in the 2023 Nations League final.
Current form:
- Croatia – LLWLW
- Spain – WWWWW
Croatia vs Spain previous games
- Spain 4-1 Croatia (September 29, 2026)
- Spain 3-0 Croatia (June 15, 2024)
- Croatia 0(4) – 0(5) Spain (June 18, 2023)
- Croatia 3-5 Spain (June 28, 2021)
- Croatia 3-2 Spain (November 15, 2018)
Croatia vs Spain prediction
Spain have won all three of their Group A3 matches and already defeated Croatia 4-1. The form and momentum highly favors them to come out on top here.
Spain have scored 10 goals in their last three Nations League matches, while Croatia have conceded 12. Goals could also be an interesting market to explore.
Prediction – Spain to win / Over 2.5 goals
NB: These are pre-match predictions, not actual outcomes. Use them as a guide only and gamble responsibly.
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