Croatia vs Spain live score, updates, lineups, and result from UEFA Nations League final 2023

Croatia vs Spain live score, updates, lineups, and result from UEFA Nations League final 2023

Will Croatia’s golden generation win its first title, or will Spain hoist a trophy again and end an 11-year drought? That’s what’s at stake when Croatia and Spain meet in the 2023 UEFA Nations League final in Rotterdam.

Croatia produced another grinding, vintage performance outlasting the Netherlands in a memorable 4-2 semifinal victory. Meanwhile, Spain needed a late goal from Joselu to get past a dangerous Italy side 2-1.

Estimates indicate that around 25,000 Croatians will be on hand for what could be the first silverware for the likes of 37-year-old legend Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic after coming up just short at the FIFA World Cup with third-place (2022, 1998) and second-place finishes (2018).

Spain are led by new coach Luis de la Fuente, who in just his fourth game at the helm, is 90 (or 120) minutes away from the nation’s first men’s title since the 2012 Euros, where the team beat Italy 4-0 in the final.

The Sporting News is following Croatia vs. Spain live and providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as they happen.

Croatia vs Spain live score

Lineups:

Croatia (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Livakovic (GK) — 22-Juranovic, 6-Sutalo, 5-Erlic, 14-Perisic — 10-Modric, 11-Brozovic, 8-Kovacic — 15-Pasalic, 9-Kramaric, 16-Ivanusec

Spain (4-2-3-1, right to left): 23-Simon (GK) — 22-Navas, 3-Le Normand, 14-Laporte, 18-Alba — 16-Rodri, 8-Ruiz — 10-Asensio, 9-Gavi, 15-Pino — 7-Morata

Croatia vs Spain live updates, highlights from UEFA Nations League final

39th min.: Chance Croatia! Another Luka Modric ball to Ivan Perisic who’s in the box for a header. Unai Simon makes the stop again.

38th min.: Chance Croatia! Marcelo Brozovic with a run in behind for a ball served over the top. He pulls off an excellent dribbling move, but his cross from the left goes through the six-yard box and no one was there to meet it!

31st min.: Chance Croatia! A lofted ball into the box by Luka Modric finds Ivan Perisic in stride for the header. Unai Simon stops it.

Spain are doing well to swarm the ball and win it back. Croatia need to take better care of it.

Watch in USA:

Unai Simón 🇪🇸😤 pic.twitter.com/XPoVY9WV2v

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2023

24th min.: Croatia chances! Spain defender Aymeric Laporte saves his team on a long ball over the top to Andrej Kramaric, stopping the Croatia forward at the last second.

Then Croatia recover the ball in Spain’s end and Kramaric’s cross finds Mario Pasalic, but he can’t get enough on the redirect effort to beat Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Watch in USA:

Comfortable saves being made on both sides of the pitch! 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/gIdJF5Vf7d

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2023

21st min.: Penalty for Spain? Replays seem to show the ball come off a Croatian arm, but it caromed off his body first. The VAR looked at it and determined it wasn’t a clear and obvious error that the referee didn’t point to the spot.

12th min.: Chance Spain! Croatia lose the ball in their own half and the ball ends up on Gavi’s foot, who fires a shot that just misses the right post. Livakovic was beat, but it didn’t hit the target.

Watch in USA:

Gavi’s solo effort goes just wide for Spain 👀 pic.twitter.com/vyWDZ9EQQ5

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2023

10th min.: Chance Spain! Fabian Ruiz crosses from an advanced position and somehow Croatia ‘keeper Dominik Livakovic bobbles it off the post and Alvaro Morata nearly gets to the loose ball. The offside flag goes up on Morata, but that was a close call for Croatia.

30′ | 🇭🇷 0:0 🇪🇸

That one was close.#CROESP | #NationsLeague | #Vatreni❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/b7nvieiJ5C

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 18, 2023

6th min.: It’s been a measured start by both teams. Croatia are growing into the game and gaining more possession. You’d say it’s Croatia in control of this one early on.

1st min.: We’re off. Spain in red on the ball to start. Croatia are playing in blue.

C’est parti ! pic.twitter.com/L4nY9T2LZy

— Anna Carreau (@annacarreau) June 18, 2023

Kickoff

4 mins to KO: There was some whistling from the Croatia fans during the Spain anthem. And then the entire stadium belts out the Croatian anthem.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic warned Spain that they would feel like they were playing in Croatia.

As soon as Spain’s anthem started playing, Croatian fans started booing the anthem. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/up6FnQNDCV

— 🇭🇷 (@TheCroatianLad) June 18, 2023

5 mins to KO: Teams are walking out onto the field past the trophy.

🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/w8uyqtUrbT

— 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙟𝙤 ✝ (@MostarskiPlemic) June 18, 2023

15 mins to KO: All eyes on Luka Modric and whether this might be his final match for his country. Or does he play through Euro 2024? There has been plenty of speculation already.

🇭🇷 Croatia check in 👋#NationsLeague | @HNS_CFF pic.twitter.com/JwTetsm2UW

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 18, 2023

35 mins to KO: It’s going to be some atmosphere at the De Kuip.

Croatia fans always show up 🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/GvXPqKlEZo

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 18, 2023

1 hour to KO: The two lineups are in. Just one change for Croatia and two for Spain.

Croatia bring in Sassuolo’s Martin Erlic for 34-year-old Domagoj Vida along the backline. Spain introduce Fabian Ruiz in central midfield in place of Mikel Merino. The injured Rodrigo Moreno is replaced by Marco Asensio.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 | ¡¡ESTE ES EL 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 DE LA FINAL!!

👥 Así sale la Selección española dirigida por Luis de la Fuente en De Kuip para luchar por la #NationsLeague.

🙌🏻🇪🇸 ¡¡Vamos, equipo!! ¡¡Queremos hacer historia!! #VamosEspaña pic.twitter.com/B3iXRj4gob

— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) June 18, 2023

Here it is! 🥁

The #Croatia starting lineup for the #NationsLeague final. 🌟 #CROESP #UNL #PokažiSrce #Family #Vatreni❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/hNQ0YisUl0

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 18, 2023

2 hours to KO: Spain have won 5 of 9 all-time matches played between the two countries. In the last 10 years they’ve played four times with a total of 22 goals scored.

5 – Spain 🇪🇸 will face Croatia 🇭🇷 for the 10th time in all competitions, including friendlies, with La Roja leading, with five wins, the balance between the two teams (D1 L3). Duel. pic.twitter.com/j4uB6de7jo

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) June 18, 2023

Spain vs Croatia lineups

Manager Luis de la Fuente is without Leeds forward Rodrigo Moreno, who reportedly didn’t finish training on Saturday with a foot issue. Marco Asensio replaces him at right wing. The other change is Fabian Ruiz in place of Mikel Merino in central midfield. The backline remains the same from the 2-1 win over Italy.

Spain lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): 23-Unai Simon (GK) — 22-Jesus Navas, 3-Robin Le Normand, 14-Aymeric Laporte, 18-Jordi Alba — 16-Rodri, 8-Fabian Ruiz — 10-Marco Asensio, 9-Gavi, 15-Yeremy Pino — 7-Alvaro Morata

Spain subs (12): 1-Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), 13-David Raya (GK), 2-Dani Carvajal, 4-Nacho Fernandez, 17-Fran Garcia, 5-Martin Zubimendi, 6-Mikel Merino, 11-Sergio Canales, 21-Dani Olmo, 19-Rodrigo, 12-Ansu Fati, 20-Joselu

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic makes just one change to the lineup after the extra-time semifinal against the Netherlands. Martin Erlic, 25, replaces 34-year-old Domagoj Vida at centre-back. Star World Cup centre-back Josko Gvardiol missed out entirely on the Nations League semifinal and final as he deals with a stomach injury. 

Croatia lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Dominik Livakovic (GK) — 22-Josip Juranovic, 6-Josip Sutalo, 5-Martin Erlic, 14-Ivan Perisic — 10-Luka Modric, 11-Marcelo Brozovic, 8-Mateo Kovacic — 15-Mario Pasalic, 9-Andrej Kramaric, 16-Luka Ivanusec

Croatia subs (11): 12-Nediljko Labrovic (GK), 23-Ivica Ivusic (GK), 2-Josip Stanisic, 3-Borna Barisic, 21-Domagoj Vida,19-Borna Sosa, 7-Lovro Majer, 13-Nikola Vlasic, 17-Bruno Petkovic, 18-Petar Musa, 20-Dion Brena Beljo

Spain vs Croatia live stream, TV channel

The UEFA Nations League final at De Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands kicks off on Sunday, June 18 at 8:45 p.m. local time.

USA: The match will be televised on national TV on Fox, and that channel is streamed on Fubo, which is available to new users on a free trial.

The match will not be televised in Spanish, but will be available via stream on ViX.

Canada: The final will be streamed on DAZN for viewers in Canada.

UK: The match will be broadcast on Viaplay Sports 1 and Channel 4 in the UK with streaming on Viaplay.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream the game on Optus Sport.

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Spain vs Croatia odds

The bookmakers are expecting Spain to win the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League final against Croatia in a lower-scoring game than these two teams have accustomed us to in recent years.

Published at Sun, 18 Jun 2023 19:26:00 +0000