Three-time champions Spain got their Euro 2024 campaign off to a flying start, dismantling Croatia 3-0 in a one-sided Group B clash on Saturday.
The Olympiastadion in Berlin witnessed a dominant display by La Roja, who stormed to a commanding lead before halftime. Captain Alvaro Morata opened the scoring in the 29th minute, followed by a quickfire strike from Fabian Ruiz just three minutes later. Dani Carvajal added another goal in first-half stoppage time to put the game out of reach for Croatia.
Despite a glimmer of hope in the second half, Croatia’s fightback was thwarted by technology. A penalty awarded to Croatia in the 80th minute was saved by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon. Though Bruno Petkovic managed to put the rebound in the net, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention deemed the goal invalid due to an infringement before the penalty.
This emphatic victory sets the tone for Spain in Group B, while Croatia will need to regroup ahead of their next match.
