The third edition of the UEFA Nations League reaches its pinnacle on Sunday with Croatia and Spain meeting in the final.
Spain is seen as the heavy favorite in the clash as bookmaker 10bet has the odds at 1.45 for La Roja to win the cup. The odds are at 2.45 for Croatia to succeed.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 16th, 9:30 A.M. (EST)
Croatia always seems to do well in tournaments but the nation has yet to win a trophy. Will it finally change on Sunday in Rotterdam? The team put in an impressive performance in the semi-final against the Netherlands and has enjoyed an extra rest day compared to Spain that could be crucial at this stage of the season.
Luka Modric once again showed his class in Wednesday’s match while Bruno Petkovic was his co-star. The Dinamo Zagreb man opened the scoring in extra time and won a penalty that secured a 4-2 victory for Croatia. Standing at six-foot-four, Petkovic has a good build to play as a target man, but he is also a technically gifted player who can cause the opposition all sorts of problems.
Spain is looking to correct a few mistakes made a couple of years back. The 2010 world champions also reached the final in the previous Nations League season but suffered a 2-1 defeat against France in the decisive game.
The Spaniards booked their ticket to Sunday’s match with a 2-1 victory over Italy. The team struggled to convert its chances into goals but was able to make a breakthrough just before full-time as Joselu continued his spectacular start on the international stage.
The Espanyol man started life in the Spain squad with a brace off the bench against Norway and also scored as a substitute on Thursday. This means that he is averaging a goal every 27 minutes through his first three appearances for his country. Joselu has done a great job in pushing for a spot in the starting lineup, but he will likely remain only an impact sub for the team as new manager Luis de la Fuente has made Alvaro Morata the team captain and sees him as Spain’s No. 1 striker.
Croatia and Spain clash for an 11th time and the most recent battles suggest that Sunday’s match-up will be a classic. The two played out an eight-goal thriller at the last Euros that Spain won 5-3 in extra time and the first Nations League edition saw Croatia triumph 3-2 at home with an injury-time game-winner.
