Football fans, buckle up! The Euro 2024 group stage kicks off with a spicy rematch as Spain and Croatia face off in Berlin’s Olympiastadion this Saturday. It’s a clash of titans with *major* tournament history: Spain knocked Croatia out in Euro 2020’s thriller and beat them in last year’s Nations League final. Talk about déjà vu!
Croatia’s golden boy Luka Modrić, 38, is back for his fifth Euros – fresh off winning La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid. But Spain’s young guns aren’t backing down: Mikel Oyarzabal scored FOUR goals in warm-up games.
Fun fact: Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo once played with *eight* of Croatia’s current stars at Dinamo Zagreb. Coach Zlatko Dalić even joked he wished Olmo had switched sides!
With defending champs Italy *and* Albania in Group B, every point counts. Will Spain dominate again, or can Croatia flip the script?
Reference(s):
Euro 2024: Familiar foes Spain and Croatia clash again in group opener
cgtn.com