Euro 2024: Familiar foes Spain and Croatia clash again in group opener
European Championship title begins against Croatia in Berlin's Olympiastadion — where the final will be played next month. The other teams in the group are defending champion Italy and Albania. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. local (1600 GMT) on Saturday. Here's what to know about the match:
Match facts
— Spain and Croatia are meeting for the fourth successive time at the European Championship. Spain knocked out Croatia after a 5-3 extra-time win in the round of 16 at Euro 2020. Spain also defeated Croatia on penalties to win the UEFA Nations League last year.
— Zlatko Dalić's Croatia team is again led by the evergreen Luka Modrić, who at 38 will be playing at the tournament for the fifth time. Modrić joins his national teammates after winning a Spanish league and Champions League double with Real Madrid.
— Spain warmed up with big wins over Andorra and Northern Ireland, with Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal bagging four goals over the two games.
— Croatia warmed up with an encouraging win over Portugal.
— Spain midfielder Dani Olmo played for Croatian power Dinamo Zagreb between 2014-20. During this time, he played with Croatia players Dominik Livaković, Bruno Petković, Lovro Majer, Josip Šutalo, JoSko Gvardiol, Luka IvanuSec, Marko Pjaca and Borna Sosa. Dalić acknowledged he would have liked the 26-year-old Olmo to play for Croatia, instead.
— It's the first match of Euro 2024 in the German capital, where enthusiasm for the tournament has been slow to build.
— Spain is placing its faith in youngsters Lamine Yamal
