Spain vs Croatia: Sevilla Hosts a Meeting Between Two Winning Openers
There is little room for a slow start when two teams arrive in Sevilla with three points already secured from the opening round.
Spain began their Nations League campaign by recovering from behind to defeat England 3-2 at Wembley, while Croatia produced a 2-1 victory away to Czechia.
Both sides therefore enter this second-round meeting level on points at the top of Group A3, making the Sánchez-Pizjuán encounter an early test of how each team handles another heavyweight opponent.
Spain also return home for the first time since winning the 2026 World Cup, with the two stars on their shirt being presented to the home supporters in Seville.
Croatia arrive with Luka Modrić having scored in Prague and with Slaven Bilić beginning his second spell in charge with a victory.
The competitive context is consequently stronger than a normal early group fixture, although the decisive stages of the Nations League remain far ahead.
Spain’s opening performance at Wembley offered a clear indication of the technical route Luis de la Fuente still wants his team to follow: control the ball, attack with width and continue playing forward even after conceding.
Lamine Yamal opened the scoring inside three minutes, Álex Baena restored parity after England had moved ahead, and Mikel Oyarzabal completed the comeback in the second half.
Croatia’s response against Czechia was built differently, with Modrić opening the scoring before Mario Pašalić supplied the winning header after the hosts had equalised.
The midfield contest could therefore become particularly important, with Spain possessing several players comfortable receiving between lines while Croatia can rely on Modrić and Mateo Kovačić to manage difficult phases.
Spain will also have to account for Croatia’s ability to switch quickly from midfield circulation into direct attacking movements, especially when Ivan Perišić and the forwards find space outside the central defensive block.
The tactical battle should consequently revolve around whether Spain can maintain territorial control without allowing Croatia to turn their possession losses into fast attacks.
❗ The Latest Injury Picture
Spain have one clearly confirmed late withdrawal from the current international squad: Eric García was released after tests on a left-knee problem sustained around the England match, with Robin Le Normand brought into the group as his replacement.
The RFEF also confirmed that Joan García was unavailable because of a knee injury when the original squad was announced.
Eric García had nevertheless started against England before his subsequent withdrawal, meaning the defensive options changed between the first and second fixtures.
For Croatia, the official HNS squad announcement lists the players selected for this international window but does not publish a separate current injury list identifying long-term or questionable players.
Several external databases report absences involving Martin Baturina, Martin Erlić and Josip Juranović, but those reports are not being presented below as officially listed HNS injuries.
This distinction is deliberate: the injury table contains only information that can be supported as an actual current absence rather than converting third-party availability estimates into confirmed federation injury designations.
| SPAIN — CONFIRMED INJURY ABSENCES |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Eric García |
Left-knee problem; withdrawn from the Spain squad after medical tests |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Joan García |
Knee injury; unavailable for the September international squad |
| CROATIA — OFFICIAL INJURY INFORMATION |
| Out / Ruled Out |
Josip Juranović |
Reported unavailable for the September international gathering; current HNS squad list does not include him |
🔵 The Matchday Team Sheets
The official starting XIs had not been released at the time this preview was prepared, so no predicted eleven is being presented as confirmed.
Spain’s current official squad contains Unai Simón, David Raya, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Pubill, Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal among the available senior options.
Croatia’s official squad includes Dominik Livaković, Joško Gvardiol, Josip Stanišić, Luka Vušković, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Petar Sučić, Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić and Ante Budimir.
Spain’s previous starting team against England included Unai Simón, Marc Pubill, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Ferran Torres.
Croatia’s starting XI in Prague featured Dominik Livaković, Josip Stanišić, Luka Vušković, Joško Gvardiol, Ivan Perišić, Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Sučić, Petar Sučić, Franjo Ivanović and Igor Matanović.
The confirmed selections for Sevilla should therefore be taken from the official team sheets once UEFA and the federations publish them, rather than from pre-match predicted lineups.
| SPAIN — KEY PERSONNEL |
| Role |
Player |
Confirmed context |
| Head Coach |
Luis de la Fuente |
Spain head coach for the current Nations League campaign |
| Midfielder |
Pedri |
Reached 50 senior international appearances at Wembley |
| Forward |
Lamine Yamal |
Scored Spain’s opening goal against England |
| Midfielder |
Álex Baena |
Scored Spain’s equaliser at Wembley |
| CROATIA — KEY PERSONNEL |
| Role |
Player |
Confirmed context |
| Head Coach |
Slaven Bilić |
Returned as Croatia head coach for the current Nations League campaign |
| Midfielder |
Luka Modrić |
Scored Croatia’s opening goal against Czechia |
| Midfielder |
Mateo Kovačić |
Senior midfield option in the official squad |
| Forward |
Ante Budimir |
Named in Croatia’s official Nations League squad |
One of the most interesting aspects of the fixture is the amount of experience sitting alongside the younger technical players on both sides.
Spain can build around Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo while giving Lamine Yamal freedom to attack from the right, a combination that repeatedly caused England problems at Wembley.
Croatia have a similarly experienced central core in Modrić and Kovačić, with Petar Sučić and Luka Sučić providing younger midfield options around them.
The Croatian victory in Prague also demonstrated that Bilić’s side can survive momentum swings, after Czechia equalised before Mario Pašalić restored the lead.
Spain’s ability to sustain pressure after conceding twice against England was equally significant, particularly because the team continued to attack rather than retreat into a defensive shape.
That contrast should make the midfield and the spaces immediately behind the forwards particularly important in determining which team can dictate the rhythm.
🗞️ What the Pre-Match Reports Are Highlighting
- Spanish federation coverage is focused on Spain’s return to Sevilla after the World Cup triumph and on maintaining the momentum created by the 3-2 victory at Wembley.
- The RFEF reported that Fabián Ruiz stressed the collective aspect of Spain’s preparation ahead of the Croatia match, while Luis de la Fuente addressed the media in Sevilla.
- Croatian federation coverage has focused on the quality of the Spanish opponent while making clear that Croatia intend to compete after opening the group with a 2-1 victory in Prague.
- Mateo Kovačić described Spain as a formidable opponent but said Croatia would approach the match with the intention of competing rather than simply defending.
The schedule adds another layer because this is the first of two meetings between the countries in the October sequence, with Croatia due to host Spain in Split on 6 October.
That does not reduce the importance of the Sevilla match, but it means both coaching staffs have to consider how much physical demand they place on key players during a compressed international programme.
Bilić selected a larger group partly because Croatia face four matches in 12 days, while Spain are also managing a demanding sequence immediately after the World Cup.
De la Fuente’s staff already reduced the workload of players who started against England during the first recovery session before travelling to Sevilla.
The fitness management becomes particularly relevant with Eric García already removed from Spain’s squad and several Croatian players outside the selected group for this window.
The final team sheets will reveal how each coach balances continuity with freshness, but the underlying contest is already defined by two sides that began the campaign with victories and now meet with little need for experimentation.
🔎 Four Tactical Threads to Follow
- Whether Spain can use sustained possession to move Croatia’s midfield block away from Modrić’s preferred central areas.
- How Croatia handle Lamine Yamal’s positioning and Spain’s wide attacking rotations.
- Whether Modrić and Kovačić can bypass Spain’s pressure and release Croatia’s forwards into transition.
- How both coaches manage the physical demands of a four-match international sequence compressed into twelve days.
The opening results ensure that neither side arrives needing to repair a disastrous start, which changes the character of the contest from recovery mission to early group positioning.
Spain have the benefit of returning to their supporters after a dramatic victory at Wembley, while Croatia carry the confidence of winning their own difficult away opener.
The presence of Modrić on one side and Spain’s technically dominant midfield on the other gives the match an obvious central battle, but the wide areas may ultimately determine how much room those midfielders have to operate.
Spain’s defensive adjustment following Eric García’s withdrawal is another concrete change that De la Fuente has had to absorb between fixtures.
Croatia, meanwhile, have already demonstrated that their attacking structure can remain productive after conceding an equaliser, but Sevilla presents a different test from Prague.
The official starting XIs remain the final missing piece before kick-off, leaving the tactical details to be confirmed rather than predicted.
