Croatia vs Spain tips: Experienced Croatians to stun Spaniards

Nations League final, Sunday June 18, Kick-off 7:45pm, live on Channel 4

Croatia 2-1 Spain

This season, UEFA Nations League matches have averaged 2.65 goals per game.

The Nations League final is traditionally tight. In 2019, Portugal recorded a 1-0 win against the Netherlands. In 2021, France produced a hard-earned 2-1 win against Spain.

Croatia and Spain have met nine times in the past, with Spain leading the head-to-head with five victories to three.

The last meeting between the sides was an instant classic. Croatia came from 3-1 down at Euro 2020, with Spain winning 5-3 in extra time.

In the 2018 Nations League, Spain humiliated Croatia 6-0, but the Croatians avenged that loss at home with a 3-2 win.

This year's Nations League semi-finals brought games that kept the fans on the edge of their seats until the last minute.

Sunday's final in Rotterdam pits two teams that are more than familiar with spectacle and suspense against each other

Croatia eliminated the Final Four hosts Netherlands, 4-2 after extra time, after conceding the equaliser in the 6th additional minute.

In the other semi-final, Spain managed a 2-1 win against Italy, with the winning goal coming in the 88th minute of the game.

Both games were decided by players coming off the bench, with Petkovic scoring to make it for 3-2 to Croatia, while Joselu netted the decisive goal for Spain.

Zlatko Dalic's team was led by the incredible Luka Modric and an ageing midfield who show no signs of slowing down.

After a modest European Championship in 2020, they managed to record a remarkable third-place finish against the odds in Qatar.

Since June 2022, Croatia have suffered only one defeat, a 3-0 loss against Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals.

Goals always seem to be the order of the day in Croatia games, with 14 scored in their last 5 matches.

Despite reaching their second UEFA Nations League final, La Roja's performances have not been very convincing.

Luis De La Fuente's arrival after the World Cup hasn't helped to address their main problem, which is figuring out the country's best starting 11 and giving them a run of games.

Despite a convincing 3-0 win over Norway in Euro 2024 qualifiers, La Roja followed that with what was a completely unexpected defeat against Scotland, losing 2-0.

Croatia are experienced in these sorts of games and Spain are not at the best. This should be an open game full of goals, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Croatia triumph.