Here’s our match report. I’m off for a lie down. Adios!
Here’s that Morata goal, in case you haven’t seen it:
Now 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 is how you silence your critics 🤫
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 28, 2021
Somehow, this game just keeps getting better - and we're so here for it 🤩#CROESP | #ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/GEGVpqfoaa
“That was the second highest scoring game at a European Championship, behind only the first ever match at the Euros, France 4-5 Yugoslavia in 1960,” notes Kari Tulinius. That first game really did set the bar unreasonably high.
In summary:
- Unai Simon conceded a 40-yard own goal
- A right-back scored a close-range header
- Croatia came from 3-1 down after 85 minutes
- Spain scored five for the second straight game
- Simon denied Croatia an extra-time lead
- Alvaro Morata rifled home a clinical volley
- Spain lost a two-goal lead and got it back
- There were 35 shots on goal, 17 on target
Spain will face the winners of France v Switzerland next – you can follow that one with Scott Murray:
Full time: Croatia 3-5 Spain (aet)
It’s all over! Spain progress to the quarter-finals after a relentless, thrilling, barely believable game – one they had to win twice.
ET 119 mins: Dani Olmo hits the post! Oyazarbal opts to pass rather than shoot from six yards out, and Olmo curls his shot onto the far post. He’s been excellent.
ET 117 mins: Brekalo curls in a cross that skims over his teammates’ heads and is collected by Simon.
ET 115 mins: Morata gets away from Duleta-Car, sweeps into the area – and sees his shot turned away by Livakovic at the near post! A fine save rather than a miss, although Morata blots his copy book with a weak appeal for a penalty.
ET 113 mins: Modric’s race is run – he’s replaced by another Luka, Ivanusec of Dinamo Zagreb. Will we see him again at an international tournament? I certainly hope so.
Updated
@niallmcveigh i'm not saying this is the only reason, but there has been 5 goals since the ref changed the ball
— Asha (@Melatomin) June 28, 2021
Did a dastardly Uefa suit switch in the Swazzmeister 4000 in a bid to liven up the knockouts? More power to them, if so.
Updated
ET 110 mins: Spain stroke the ball around in midfield. Boooooo!
ET 109 mins: Souey, I should point out, gave Unai Simon due credit for his save from Kramaric, which now looks the pivotal moment of this game.
Updated
“This match is bat shit crazy and amazingly brilliant,” notes Graeme Soun Mary Waltz. It’s been absolute chaos since Torres got Spain’s third goal. Tactics, formations – it’s all gone out the window.
ET 106 mins: So nearly a fourth Croatia goal! Ante Budimir bursts into space, toying with that creaky Spanish back line – but with the goal at his mercy, he fires inches wide!
The second half of extra time is go!
Can Croatia summon another two-goal comeback? Don’t rule it out.
Updated
As David Wall points out, definite shades of Spain 4-3 Yugoslavia at Euro 2000. “Even Mark Lawrenson was getting excited by the end.”
HT in extra time: Croatia 3-5 Spain
I’m not sure what else to say. What a breathless, brilliant game of football – and it’s not quite over yet.
ET 105 mins: Morata almost gets in again but delays his shot, and Vida is able to scuff it away.
After Kramaric tests Simon with a shot, Spain break at speed. Morata plays Dani Olmo in down the right, and he produces another perfect cross to pick out the unmarked Olazarbal. He drills into the bottom corner, and Spain lead by two again!
GOAL! Croatia 3-5 Spain (Oyazarbal 103')
Spain score again, and it’s another beauty. Dare I say ... game over?
Updated
ET 101 mins: Another sub for Spain – both teams get an extra one in extra time – and it’s Rodri coming on for Busquets.
Oh, you simply love to see it. From Dani Olmo’s searching cross, Álvaro Morata pulls away from his marker, chests down and unleashes a left-foot rocket into the roof of the net. What a moment!
GOAL!!! Croatia 3-4 Spain (Morata 99')
Who else?
Updated
ET 97 mins: Now a chance for Spain, with Dani Olmo’s shot catching a Croatian heel as it looked destined for the bottom corner. We’re into game of the tournament territory, it’s fair to say.
ET 95 mins: Simon keeps Spain level! I’ve no idea how Croatia aren’t ahead. More brilliant, bruising forward play from Orsic, whose cross lands at the feet of Kramaric – but Simon saves with his legs!
ET 94 mins: Modric sums up the change in momentum nicely by absolutely clattering Pedri in midfield. He looks incredulous when the foul is given.
ET 93 mins: Pau Torres looks less than comfortable under Orsic’s high ball, being jostled relentlessly by Ante Budimir. He does enough, although Croatia appeal half-heartedly for a handball.
ET 92 mins: Oof! Orsic, who has been fantastic since coming on, fires a shot inches over the bar.
Extra time is go
I’m still struggling to comprehend how that happened. Not sure a team has ever been that dominant and conceded three goals. Croatia will surely fancy this now!
Extra time! Croatia 3-3 Spain after 90 mins
Phew. Take a breath, everyone.
94 mins: The flurry of substitutions meant the game totally lost its shape. Spain took advantage of that to go 3-1, but then Croatia realised they could be more direct – and found Spain’s weakness. It looks like we’re heading to extra time!
Dalic’s substitutions have worked. Orsic adds to his goal with a spectacular assist, crossing for Mario Pasalic, who heads emphatically into the far corner! Croatia are level. How?!
Updated
GOAL!!!!! Croatia 3-3 Spain (Pasalic 92')
They can!!!
Updated
90 mins: Six added minutes. Crikey! Can Croatia get an unexpected equaliser?
87 mins: Torres, arguably the man of the match, is replaced by Mikel Oyarzabal.
It’s not over yet. Modric makes it happen, weaving down the byline and cutting back, where several black shirts are on hand to turn it in. Budmir’s shot is cleared off the line – but Orsic forces the ball in!
GOAL! Croatia 2-3 Spain (Orsic 85')
Hold on a minute!
Updated
83 mins: Caleta-Car is booked for roughing up Morata, who I think *dons tin hat* has done alright today. He’s totally out of scoring touch, but has won fouls and dragged defenders around willingly. Pasalic replaces Kovacic for Croatia.
Updated
82 mins: Ante Budimir is on for Croatia, replacing Nikola Vlasic. It tells its own story that all of Croatia’s starting front three have now gone off.
81 mins: This has been a really impressive fightback from Spain, who could have felt that fate was against them after going behind.
Luis Enrique makes two changes, Fabian Ruiz on for Koke and Jordi Alba on for Jose Gaya.
Updated
What a weird goal this is. Gaya went down with an injury, and while a few players took the chance to rehydrate, he got back up and booted a long pass towards Torres. The winger only had Gvuardiol to beat, cut beyond him, and stroked the ball under the keeper!
Updated
GOAL! Spain 3-1 Croatia (Torres 77')
Ferran Torres caps an excellent display with Spain’s third goal – and that might be that!
Updated
Some of you have emailed in to point out that Pedri’s back pass was on target, so it doesn’t matter if Unai Simon got a touch or not. I guess that explains it, but that seems harsh/presumptuous to me.
73 mins: An attacking change for Croatia, with Wolfsburg winger Josip Brekalo on for right-back Juranovic.
72 mins: Brozovic gets booked for his role in an unseemly scrap for the ball in the Spain area. He’ll miss the quarter-final, if Croatia fight back to get there.
70 mins: The livewire Torres is first to a free-kick and his shot rebounds to Morata, who tucks away at the near post – but he doesn’t celebrate, because he’s several yards offside.
69 mins: Kramaric fires a shot into Simon’s shins, but the flag goes up straight after. First changes for Spain, with Pau Torres replacing Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo on for Sarabia.
67 mins: Big save from Simon! Vlasic moves into the space Rebic has vacated, and cuts back to Josko Gvardiol. The full-back’s shot is on target, but Simon turns it away from his near post!
65 mins: Rebic finds space on the corner of the box, but his shot is scuffed and saved easily by Simon. Zlatko Dalic has seen enough and hooks Rebic, throwing on Mislav Orsic, the Dynamo Zagreb winger who shone against Spurs.
64 mins: Twice in quick succession, Rebic looks to play in Kramaric with a Beckham-esque long ball. It doesn’t work, and doesn’t look likely to.
62 mins: Croatia do look very lightweight in attack, with Vlasic, Rebic and latterly Kramaric unable to trouble Spain too much. Morata draws a foul from an increasingly irritable Modric in midfield.
“Every time Modric gets the ball, four or five Spaniards converge on him, and he invariably passes it to a teammate in acres of space,” notes Kari Tulinius. “Croatia are missing Perisic – give him a yard and he’ll run at goal like a boulder bearing down on Indiana Jones.”
Spain have been working the right side of the Croatian defence since half time and it pays off here, with Pedri slipping a pass to Torres, whose superb cross is nodded in by ... César Azpilicueta?! No idea what the right-back was doing there, but it worked.
Updated
GOAL! Croatia 1-2 Spain (Azpilicueta 56')
Spain lead after an attacking move that’s simple, but highly effective.
Updated
54 mins: Another searching cross finds Sarabia, whose immediate cut-back is thudded clear by Caleta-Car.
52 mins: A pause in play as the match ball goes wonky, and has to be replaced.
50 mins: Torres, now operating on the left side, beats his man and heaves a cross to the far post, where Sarabia is unable to keep it in play.
Updated
48 mins: Pedri kickstarts an attacking move, swazzing the ball around in the right direction now – but Croatia win it back and break, with Laporte alert to clear away under pressure from Vlasic.
46 mins: One half-time change for Croatia, with Kramaric on for Petkovic up front. Laporte puts Simon under entirely unwelcome pressure with a bobbling backpass, but the keeper deals with it.
Peep!
We’re off for the second half, with both teams now playing towards their own fans. Spicy!
“Sorry to big up someone else’s coverage, but where has Emma Hayes been all my football viewing life?” asks Rob James. “She’s provided more meaningful insight in ten minutes than most summarisers do in ten years.”
“The great Luis Arconada, another Basque keeper, also made a catastrophic Euros error – in the 1984 final against France,” notes Mark Woldin.
Plenty of you have also noted Croatia have some form in profiting from keepers air-kicking back passes.
Half-time reading
Some of your half-time thoughts. Agreed on Pickford, he’s defied a lot of gloomy pre-tournament predictions (at time of writing).
Worst tournament for goalkeeping I can ever remember @niallmcveigh. Positioning, especially at the near-post / near-side, is terrible, shot-stopping pushes the ball straight out, too many stay on their lines and errors come thick and fast.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 28, 2021
Our lad's been pretty good though.
@niallmcveigh poor Simon looks like he was undone by the away swing, which took the edge. He needs some coaching from @GeoffreyBoycott
— Bob O'Hara (@BobOHara) June 28, 2021
Half-time: Croatia 1-1 Spain
That half had a bit of everything – it was tight and technical, but still played at a ferocious pace. Oh, and it featured a ridiculous own goal. More soon!
44 mins: Rebic puts Simon under pressure again, forcing the keeper to hoof away downfield.
43 mins: Rebic almost connects with a near-post cross, but Simon is off his line smartly to gather it in.
42 mins: Off the ball at least, Spain are adopting a 4-4-effin-2, with Torres accompanying Morata and Sarabia assisting in prising the ball off Modric in midfield.
40 mins: ITV reports that the own goal is now being credited to Pedri, which suggests Unai Simon didn’t make contact at all. It certainly looked like he did. It was a bad mistake, but I do wonder quite why Pedri put so much unnecessary swazz on the back pass.
@niallmcveigh As a Scotland fan, at least when we conceded from 50 yards the opposition had to do it
— Stuart Lawson (@SenorStu) June 28, 2021
38 mins: Spain really turned up the pressure here, flooding white shirts forward – and it paid off as Gaya’s shot was parried by Livakovic, but only as far as Pablo Sarabia, who lashed the ball into the top corner!
Updated
GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Spain (Sarabia 38')
Unai Simon will be a relieved man. Spain are level!
Updated
35 mins: Torres twists and turns down by the right corner flag, but sees his cross cut out by Gvardiol. From the corner, Gaya’s shot cannons wide off Azpilicueta’s shins.
“You say that was the most amusing goal but I think that dubious award still goes to Martin Dubravka,” offers Mark Robinson. Perhaps based on the raw footage, but the wider context here gives Simon the edge for me. It has been such a high-quality game aside from that Sunday league moment.
29 mins: Spain keep knocking the ball back and forth, very much their default setting. They win a corner but are penalised after a skirmish in the penalty area.
Updated
27 mins: Rebic gets a talking-to from the ref after a couple of clumsy barges on Koke in midfield. I’m still reeling from that goal, I’ll be honest.
25 mins: Croatia want to shoot at every opportunity now, with Kocavic cutting inside and blasting his shot a couple of feet over the bar. By the way, that was the ninth own goal of this strange tournament – and surely the most amusing.
24 mins: That bizarre goal has completely reenergised Croatia. They pour forward, appealing in vain for a handball before Rebic fires a shot into the side netting. Before Simon’s shocker, Morata appealed for a penalty as his header struck Vida’s hand – but the defender’s arms were firmly by his side.
Spain work the ball around midfield, before Pedri whips a long back pass towards Unai Simon. The keeper goes to control it, but shins it in the comedy fashion instead – and it pings into the corner of the net. That’s a horror show, I’m afraid.
Updated
GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Spain (Simon own goal)
Oh, my days. This is an absolute disaster for Spain!
Updated
18 mins: Oh, Álvaro! This is such an open game already. Torres crosses to the far post, Morata climbs – but his downward header is awkward and easy for Livakovic.
17 mins: Croatia threaten to break away again, with Petkovic linking up with Vlasic, but Brozovic takes too long on the ball and Spain get back in numbers.
15 mins: ... and at the other end, Spain really should score! Pedri’s diagonal ball slices through the Croatian defence and Koke is in. Livakovic reacts well, though, and races out to block his straightish shot.
Updated
14 mins: Ante Rebic gets on the ball in the Spain half, and tries to float a through ball into Vlasic’s path – but it’s overhit ...
12 mins: Busquets tees up Morata, who strolls into the area but runs the ball too wide. His cut back allows Sarabia an optimistic shot from a tight angle which slaps into the side netting.
10 mins: Bruno Petkovic eases the pressure, the Croatia centre-forward drawing a foul from Eric Garcia upfield.
9 mins: Koke’s turn to curl a free kick in from the right, and Azpilicueta meets it with a stooping header from 18 yards out. Never likely to beat the keeper from there.
7 mins: Plenty of aggression from Spain early doors, with two men pressing whenever Croatia get on the ball and the two full-backs pushing high up the pitch.
5 mins: Sarabia’s free kick is half-cleared but Morata is quick to pick up the rebound and work it back to Gaya, whose cross is flicked back across goal by Torres, bouncing just beyond Koke in the middle.
4 mins: Croatia fans are making themselves heard, whistling heartily whenever Spain have the ball. Which, as you might imagine, is pretty much all the time so far.
2 mins: Left-back Jose Gaya, in for Jordi Alba who is one booking from a suspension, almost connects to a through ball, but Livakovic is off his line to claim.
Peep!
Here we go! Spain are in all-white, Croatia in all-black.
The teams are out on the pitch, the anthems in full swing. Meanwhile, my pre-game prep was just disrupted by an enormous bee flying in, then repeatedly bashing into the wrong window pane in a bid to escape. A metaphor, perhaps, for Spain’s attacking difficulties? Perhaps not.
The checkerboard-clad fans, the sunshine, the four-sided ground – serious Euro 96 vibes here.
Spain are warm favourites for this game with the bookies, but it feels like it could be very close – with a decent chance of our first penalty shootout of the tournament. Cue one team winning 4-0, then.
@niallmcveigh Hai McVeigh-MBM, i have here the refereeing crew for the CRO-ESP clash:
— SyClopp (@psyclop5) June 28, 2021
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (TUR)
AR1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
AR2: Tarik Ongun (TUR)
Fourth Official: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)
Cant wait for this to kick-off!
Cuneyt Cakir has previously drawn the ire of Sir Alex Ferguson, Mario Balotelli and Republic of Ireland fans, but Croatia supporters might see him as a good luck charm – he refereed their World Cup semi-final against England three years ago.
The ITV punditry crew have been discussing Álvaro Morata’s struggles, with Ian Wright curiously suggesting a move away from a big club to “a Sociedad or a Villarreal” might help.
In his pre-game presser, Luis Enrique weighed in on the abuse Morata and his family have received which, of course, is ridiculous, baffling and appalling. “This is a serious crime,” the Spain coach said.
“Insulting his family is a serious issue that has to be put into the hands of the authorities and dealt with in the strongest possible way. It is his wife and children.”
Word from a fan inside the ground! “Atmosphere building in Parken,” says John. “Croatian supporters hugely outnumbering Spanish. Phenomenal acoustics here – you’d think there were 20,000 Croats here.”
That fits with scenes in central Copenhagen, where Croatia fans comfortably outnumbered Spain supporters.
“That Spain team video announcement – triumphant, defiant, in-your-face – oh dear. It’s a bit at odds with most of their football so far,” notes Charles Antaki. “Perhaps if they unhooked the amp from the guitar and plugged it into Morata, that might help.”
Previously...
These teams played each other at both Euro 2012 and Euro 2016. In 2012, Jesus Navas’ late winner helped Spain top their group and eliminate Croatia from Group C.
Four years later, Croatia got revenge with Ivan Perisic’s late winner securing top spot in Group D. Both sides went on to lose in the last 16.
The teams
Spain (4-3-3): Unai Simón; Azpilicueta, Eric García, Laporte, Gayà; Koke, Busquets, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Morata, Sarabia.
Subs: De Gea, D Llorente, Pau Torres, M Llorente, Moreno, Thiago, Sánchez, Rodri, Fabian, Jordi Alba, Olmo, Oyarzabal.
Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Caleta-Car, Vida, Gvardiol; Brozovic, Modric, Kovacic; Vlasic, Petkovic, Rebic.
Subs: Vrsaljko, Brekalo, Kramaric, Kalinic, Budimir, Pasalic, Skoric, Orsic, Badelj, Sluga, Bradaric, Ivanusec.
Updated
Here’s the Spain team, in snazzy video format. Álvaro Morata keeps his place in attack while Ferran Torres replaces Gerard Moreno. Full teams to follow shortly.
🚨 OFICIAL | ¡¡YA TENEMOS NUESTRO ONCE INICIAL!!
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) June 28, 2021
👥 Con estos futbolistas afronta @LUISENRIQUE21 los octavos de final de la #EURO2020 ante Croacia.
💪🏻 ¡¡ESTAMOS CON VOSOTROS!! ¡¡A POR TODAS!!
🆚 #CRO- #ESP #SomosEspaña pic.twitter.com/2YgnuGibXU
The Croatia coach, Zlatko Dalic, has had his preparations disrupted by Ivan Perisic’s positive Covid test, which rules the winger out.
“It’s hard for Ivan but we have to adapt. Ivan will be our biggest fan and God willing, he will join us in seven or eight days. “We were shocked by Perisic’s positive result, but we have been living with the stress of this possibility for a month. We are used to it.”
“We have a big number of players in this position. We will decide on a player who is a natural there, but I believe any of them can do well.” On the match itself, he said: “we need to win, to play a good game and be offensive. If we just defend we will not achieve anything.”
Updated
Pre-match reading: Sid Lowe chats with Aymeric Laporte, the France-born defender who has taken dual nationality in order to play for Spain. If he helps La Roja through today, their likely quarter-final opponents will be ... France.
“Luis Enrique told me my playing style is his idea of football, that if I got nationality I might be in the squad,” Laporte says. “We talked and I told him that obviously it’s very important for me ... I’m not saying France didn’t want me, but I’m grateful to those that ‘bet’ on me. Spain did and I’m trying to return that faith.”
Preamble
Euro 2020’s long, winding path to Wembley allows teams to take their time, settle in and play their way into form. That said, Croatia and Spain both took liberties with the slow-burn format. Both got a decent way into their third games without leaving second gear, and risked drifting out of the competition with a collective shrug.
When the heat was on we got a sense of what these teams can really do, with Spain’s forwards finding fluency against Slovakia, and Croatia taking an icy grip on proceedings at Hampden Park. That focus must be maintained today, because whatever happens one of these teams will join the Netherlands and Portugal in the departure lounge.
Like many other teams in this tournament, Croatia and Spain are trying to blend youth and experience, moving on from “golden generations” while still leaning on their old stagers every now and then. If either can get the balance right, they could still go much further – but time is running out. Kick-off is at 5pm BST, 6pm local.
