Spain flaunt stars in Seville and Modric keeps night at bay | OneFootball

Seville welcomes the two stars tonight, and they should be worn nice and visibly. Spain face Croatia (20:45, La 1 on TVE) in their first home match since winning the World Cup. We already showed them off at Wembley; now it is time to do so in front of our own fans. After so many years admiring other teams’ shirts, we have earned the right to strut our stuff in ours.

The Sánchez Pizjuán, where the national team have never lost, seems a fairly sensible choice for the presentation. Seville has that familiarity with Spain that allows everyone to puff out their chest even before the warm-up. Then, of course, the game has to be played. Past results help fill the stands with confidence, but no statistic has ever been seen clearing a corner.

On top of that, Luka Modric is coming up on the other side, 41 years old and fresh from scoring against the Czech Republic. There are footballers people start saying goodbye to far too early, only to end up needing several more seasons to complete the tribute. The Croatian keeps receiving, turning, and picking out a pass that everyone else will only spot when they watch the replay. This man has to be deprived of the ball, and that is no easy task.

Spain arrive with three points from London and some unfinished business. The 2-3 at Wembley featured magnificent football and a good spell of confusion, until the bench restored clarity to the team. The stars looked splendid, but they did not cover up the mistakes. Boasting about being champions also means admitting when we have been made to chase the ball.

De la Fuente has confirmed rotations, with four matches in eleven days and enough alternatives to spread the workload without turning every change into a downgrade. The response against England already showed what the bench can contribute. Now the aim is to stay in control for longer and avoid the night needing another emergency repair job.

Croatia know the trade, and Spain know Croatia. The 2023 Nations League final needed penalties; the opening match of Euro 2024 ended in a Spanish rout. This Nations League is, precisely, the crown to be won back after losing the 2025 final to Portugal. Being world and European champions leaves little room for settling.

The fans will be able to celebrate the World Cup before the match. Afterwards, the best tribute will be to see Spain play as befits that shirt. Modric will try to take ownership of the ball and turn down the volume at Nervión with his passing. Let him receive the applause he deserves. We can spare him command of the match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.