Spain vs Croatia LIVE: Euro 2024 result and final score as Lamine Yamal shines for La Roja
La Roja top Group B early at Euro 2024 and hope to add a third European crown after wins in 2008 and 2012
Spain got their Euro 2024 campaign underway with a 3-0 win on Saturday, as they beat one of the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists in Croatia.
Luis de la Fuente has plenty of tremendous attacking options in his squad, and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal was one of those who shone in the Group B opener.
The Barcelona winger assisted Dani Carvajal for 3-0, after captain Alvaro Morata opened the scoring and Fabian Ruiz doubled the lead.
Croatia thought they had pulled one back late on, when Bruno Petkovic won a penalty and scored in the aftermath after hitting the post. However, encroachment meant the goal was chalked off, ensuring a Spanish clean sheet.
Re-live all the action from Spain vs Croatia below plus build-up to the other Group B game, Italy vs Albania:
Euro 2024: Italy 1-1 Albania
14 mins
Italy have done well to recover so quickly, but they’ll be aware of the threat that Albania possess. The Azzurri are keeping the ball well at the moment.
GOAL! Italy 1-1 Albania
10 mins
GOAL! Italy are level.
Italy win their first corner of the game as Hysaj puts it behind. Pellegrini plays it short before delivering an inviting ball to the back post, and Bastoni rises high to power the header past Strakosha.
Euro 2024: Italy 0-1 Albania
5 mins
The goal was recorded after 23 seconds, which makes it the fastest goal in European Championship history.
Italy look a little shellshocked but they attack again, with Djimsiti making an important block from Chiesa’s shot.
GOAL! Italy 0-1 Albania
1 min
GOAL! An unbelievable start!
Dimarco’s throw-in is put into the Italy box but it runs straight to Nedim Bajrami, who takes a touch and rifles it past Donnarumma at the near post!
KICK-OFF: Italy 0-0 Albania
KICK-OFF! We’re underway at the Westfalenstadion after rousing renditions of the respective anthems. There are an awful lot of Albania fans present.
Albania get us started.
Report: Lamine Yamal dazzles as face of new Spain to validate clever swap
A new Spain, in more ways than one. As Lamine Yamal, who was not even a year old when they won Euro 2008, became first the youngest footballer to play in a European Championships and then, before half-time, the youngest to set up a goal in one, Luis de la Fuente’s side made a break with the past.
With less possession and more potency, Spain looked a team trying to cast off the influence of their champion sides. They had 47 percent of the ball but scored three goals. After going out of successive World Cups in knockout games where they attempted over 1,000 passes each, but seemed to show precious little interest in scoring, this was Spain, but not as we knew them.
Nor, really, was it Croatia as we have come to know them: the great survivors, the tournament team whose powers of endurance have carried them deep into World Cups, were strangely supine. It was the Croatia of old, in that Luka Modric became the oldest player ever in a European Championships, in that they started with a midfield trio with 376 caps between them and the first substitute deployed was Ivan Perisic. The faces were familiar, but there was not the usual resilience.
Lamine Yamal dazzles as face of new Spain to validate clever swap
Spain 3-0 Croatia: La Roja shone in Berlin behind an unusual mix of players, signalling evolution under Luis de la Fuente
FT: Spain 3-0 Croatia
Holders Italy are up next for Spain, with that game kicking off at 8pm BST on Thursday, 20 June.
For Croatia, next up is a crucial game against Albania. They desperately need three points on Wednesday, 19 June – that game kicks off at 2pm in Hamburg.
Spain vs Croatia player ratings
Spain got up and running at Euro 2024 with a straightforward win over Croatia, beating their Group B opponents 3-0 on Saturday.
Captain Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for Luis de la Fuente’s side in Berlin, following a fine Fabian Ruiz assist, and it was Ruiz who doubled the lead with an impressive solo goal.
The standout moment, however, might have come from Lamine Yamal, when the 16-year-old assisted Dani Carvajal with a brilliant cross for 3-0.
Croatia thought they had pulled one back in the second half, when substitute Bruno Petkovic won a penalty, hit the spot, and scored in the aftermath, but the goal was ruled out for encroachment.
Spain vs Croatia ratings: Teenager Lamine Yamal shows glimpses of bright future
Spain 3-0 Croatia: The Barcelona winger, 16, provided an assist and some eye-catching runs as his side made light work of their opposition
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