Spain return home after opening their Nations League campaign with an impressive victory against England at Wembley. Croatia also started with three points after beating Czechia, but they now face a much tougher challenge against the world champions in Sevilla.

Spain started with a strong away victory

Spain came from behind to beat England 3–2 in an entertaining opening match. They created several chances against a strong opponent and once again showed why they are so difficult to stop.

Luis de la Fuente’s team are comfortable controlling possession, but they also have enough speed to attack quickly when space opens up. Their movement in the final third caused England problems throughout the match, and they should find more opportunities against Croatia.

Spain will also play their first home match since winning the World Cup. The atmosphere at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán should give the team another lift as they look to take control of the group.

The hosts have quality in every area and several players capable of deciding the match. Spain do not need to depend on one goalscorer, with their midfielders and wide players regularly getting into dangerous positions.

Croatia opened with an important victory

Croatia began their campaign with a 2–1 win away against Czechia. Luka Modrić scored the winning goal and once again showed that he remains an important player for his country.

That result gives Croatia a good start in the group, but their performance will need to improve in Sevilla. Czechia created chances and managed to score, while Spain should put the Croatian defence under much more pressure.

Croatia still have enough experience to make the match competitive. They are comfortable playing without the ball and will look to slow the game down whenever possible.

Their best chance may come on the counterattack or from set pieces. However, spending long periods defending against Spain is a difficult task, especially if the hosts score early.

Spain have dominated recent meetings

Spain have won seven of the eleven previous meetings between the countries. They also produced a convincing performance when the teams met at Euro 2024, winning 3–0 after scoring all three goals before half-time.

Croatia have caused Spain problems in other meetings, including the Nations League final in 2023, which Spain eventually won on penalties. That match showed that Croatia can stay organised and compete when they avoid giving away early chances.

The current Spain team looks stronger, however, and will arrive with confidence after beating England. Croatia may struggle to match their speed and movement across the full match.

Verdict

Spain should control possession and create most of the chances. Croatia have enough experience to remain competitive for periods, but this is a difficult away match against a team playing with confidence.

The bet requires Spain to win by at least two goals, but their attacking quality and home advantage make it a reasonable choice.

Tip

Spain -1.5 Asian Handicap