Luis de la Fuente rotated his side again, with Rodri, Pedri and Nico Williams among those starting on the bench. Croatia also began without Luka Modrić and Ante Budimir. Both teams nominally lined up in a 4-2-3-1, although they interpreted the system in very different ways.
Lightning start gives Spain the lead
Spain needed almost no time to settle. Their first sustained attack already showed the hosts’ approach: patient circulation, constant positional rotations and then a sudden acceleration as soon as Croatia’s midfield shape was stretched.
The opening goal came at the end of a long passing move. Álex Baena received the ball in the left half-space and laid it back, before Yamal moved inside from his wide starting position and finished first-time into the far corner. Just three days after scoring in the second minute at Wembley, Spain had struck at exactly the same stage again.
De la Fuente asked his team to make the pitch very wide in possession. Marc Pubill and Marc Cucurella pushed high, with Martín Zubimendi providing cover behind them. Fermín López and Fabián Ruiz frequently occupied the half-spaces. Croatia tried to keep the centre compact through Josip Mišić and Mateo Kovačić, but whenever Spain managed to play through that first block, gaps opened between midfield and defence.
Croatia make the most of a rare attacking spell
Spain remained clearly on top. Baena forced Dominik Livaković into a save, while Pau Cubarsí sent a long-range effort narrowly wide. Croatia struggled to progress in a controlled manner and generally looked to find Ivan Perišić on the left or Dion Beljo through the middle as quickly as possible after regaining possession.
That combination unexpectedly produced the equaliser in the 28th minute. Perišić was given enough space to deliver a precise cross, and Beljo moved in front of Dean Huijsen before heading home for 1-1. For the former Rapid Vienna striker, it was his first goal for Croatia in only his third international appearance.
Spain’s response took just three minutes. After a short corner, Yamal received the ball back and curled a left-footed cross into the six-yard box. Pubill escaped his marker and headed in for 2-1.
Spain continued to look the more dangerous side before half-time. Oyarzabal found the net after a rebound but was ruled offside, before Fermín López struck the post with a technically excellent effort.
Spain keep finding space after the break
Croatia tried to apply pressure earlier in Spain’s build-up after half-time, but the overall pattern barely changed. Spain continued to find solutions through Zubimendi and Fabián, while Croatia struggled to commit enough players forward after winning the ball.
De la Fuente introduced Pedri and Mikel Merino after 57 minutes. Six minutes later, Pedri was already decisive. He received possession between the lines and played an incisive pass into Yamal’s path. Pubill cleverly allowed the ball to run through, Yamal collected it and finished from a tight angle at the near post to make it 3-1.
Croatia’s resistance largely faded after that. Slaven Bilić brought on Budimir, Mario Pašalić and later Modrić, but clear chances remained rare. Franjo Ivanović fired narrowly wide, while Modrić tested Unai Simón from distance late on.
Spain’s attack remains difficult to contain
Yamal was once again the standout attacking player with two goals and an assist. Both of his shots ended up in the net, while he also created two further shooting opportunities. His exceptional start to the season continues: across his last eight appearances for club and country, he has been directly involved in 18 goals, scoring 11 and assisting seven.
His individual quality, however, was only part of the story. Spain occupied attacking spaces intelligently, repeatedly pulled Croatia’s defence out of shape through constant positional rotations and were able to make substitutions without any noticeable drop in quality.
At the other end, Joško Gvardiol registered 14 defensive actions, more than any other player on the pitch. Livaković made three saves but conceded four times from seven shots on target.
Nico Williams adds the final touch
Spain continued to keep Croatia away from their own penalty area in the closing stages. Rodri replaced Zubimendi and brought additional control to the passing game. The fourth goal arrived in the 89th minute when Merino released Nico Williams, who drove into the box and finished low.
The overall numbers reflected the balance of the contest. Spain had 64 per cent possession, led 16-5 in shots and recorded 38 touches inside the opposition penalty area compared to Croatia’s 12. The xG figures of 1.77 to 0.44 also clearly favoured the hosts. The 4-1 scoreline was slightly flattering in terms of chance quality, but there was no doubt about Spain’s overall superiority.
The world champions remain on course
For Spain, the match was further proof that they can maintain their identity even with several changes to the starting XI. Their positional play remained effective, the substitutes added fresh quality and, apart from Croatia’s equaliser, the world champions gave very little away defensively. Croatia showed their threat in transition for the 1-1 but struggled for long periods to escape Spain’s pressure.
Both sides return to action on Saturday. Spain host the Czech Republic, while Croatia welcome England. Just three days later, Croatia and Spain meet again in Split.
