Spain vs Croatia lineups: Euro 2024 confirmed team news, predicted XIs, injury latest today
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Lamine Yamal will today make history as Spain begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia.
Poland's Kacper Kozlowski currently holds the record as the youngest player to appear at the tournament (17 years and 246 days), but that will be broken if Yamal features this evening, when the Barcelona star will be only 16 years and 338 days old.
Yamal is already Spain’s youngest-ever player and should have another record to his name tonight, as he is in line to start on the right wing in the Group B opener.
Nico Williams will likely be picked on the other flank, with captain Alvaro Morata through the middle. Rodri will sit at the base of the Spanish midfield, after another stellar campaign for Manchester City.
It is expected that David Raya will have to settle for a place on the bench, as Unai Simon starts in goal, while there are plenty of options in defence. Robin Le Normand is set to start, and Aymeric Laporte could get the nod over Nacho to partner him.As for Croatia, they are set to once again put their trust in the familiar midfield of Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric. Ivan Perisic recovered from an ACL injury to return in the final weeks of the season for Hajduk Split but may not yet be fully fit ahead of the tournament.
Bruno Petkovic is the favourite to lead the line, but Ante Budimir pushed his case when starting and scoring in a recent friendly against Portugal, and Andrej Kramaric is capable of playing across the front three.There is a decision to make over Josko Gvardol’s position. He has shone for Man City at left-back, but could start in central defence for his country, with Borna Sosa potentially coming in at full-back if he does.
Predicted Spain XI: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Grimaldo; Rodri, Ruiz; Olmo, Yamal, Williams; Morata
Predicted Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Vida, Gvardiol, Sosa; Brozovic, Kovacic, Modric; Kramaric, Petkovic, Perisic
Time and date: 5pm BST on Saturday, June 15, 2024
Venue: Olympiastadion
TV channel: ITV1
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