Match ends, Spain 6, Croatia 0.
Nations League: Superb Spain put six past Croatia
- From the section Football
Spain's impressive start to the Nations League continued as they thrashed World Cup runners-up Croatia.
Luis Enrique's side - who beat England at Wembley in their opener in the competition on Saturday - never looked back after Saul Niguez's headed opener.
Marco Asensio fired in from 20 yards and then, shortly after, saw another rifled effort hit the bar and find the net via Croatia keeper Lovre Kalinic.
Rodrigo, Sergio Ramos and Isco made it a rout for the superb Spanish.
Rodrigo - who scored the winner at Wembley - beat the offside trap before finishing neatly, Ramos headed in from a corner and Isco turned sharply before firing in from inside the box.
Croatia, whose side contained just four of those who started the World Cup final in Moscow this July - defender Domagoj Vida and midfielders Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic - had actually started the game the stronger but now have to regroup before facing England in October.
Spain's two wins out of two in the Nations League see them top League A Group 4 with six points. Croatia and England are both pointless after one game.
Line-ups
Spain
- 1De Gea
- 2CarvajalSubstituted forAzpilicuetaat 75'minutes
- 4Nacho
- 15Ramos
- 18Gayá
- 8SaúlSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 65'minutes
- 5BusquetsSubstituted forHernándezat 59'minutes
- 21Ceballos
- 20Asensio
- 9Rodrigo
- 22Isco
Substitutes
- 3Albiol
- 6Martínez
- 7Morata
- 10Thiago Alcántara
- 11Fernández Saez
- 12Alonso
- 13Arrizabalaga
- 14Azpilicueta
- 16Hernández
- 17Iago Aspas
- 19Roberto
- 23López
Croatia
- 12L Kalinic
- 2VrsaljkoSubstituted forRogat 20'minutes
- 5Mitrovic
- 21Vida
- 22Pivaric
- 11BrozovicBooked at 39minsSubstituted forPjacaat 62'minutes
- 7Rakitic
- 8Kovacic
- 10Modric
- 4Perisic
- 17SantiniBooked at 12minsSubstituted forLivajaat 71'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Livakovic
- 3Barisic
- 6Milic
- 9Cop
- 13Livaja
- 14Bradaric
- 15Pasalic
- 16Jedvaj
- 18Rog
- 19Badelj
- 20Pjaca
- 23Letica
- Referee:
- Benoit Bastien
Match Stats
Home TeamSpainAway TeamCroatia
- Possession
- Home71%
- Away29%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away7
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Spain 6, Croatia 0.
Foul by César Azpilicueta (Spain).
Josip Pivaric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Dani Ceballos (Spain) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Rodrigo Moreno.
Attempt missed. Rodrigo Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Thiago Alcántara (Spain) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by José Gayá (Spain).
Marko Rog (Croatia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Domagoj Vida.
Attempt saved. Isco (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by César Azpilicueta with a cross.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Domagoj Vida.
Attempt blocked. Rodrigo Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Thiago Alcántara.
Sergio Ramos (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ivan Perisic (Croatia).
Attempt missed. Rodrigo (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Josip Pivaric.
José Gayá (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Croatia).
Dani Ceballos (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Croatia).
Attempt missed. Rodrigo Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Marco Asensio.
Foul by Dani Ceballos (Spain).
Luka Modric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Spain. César Azpilicueta replaces Daniel Carvajal.
Isco (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marko Rog (Croatia).
Substitution
Substitution, Croatia. Marko Livaja replaces Ivan Santini.
Goal!
Goal! Spain 6, Croatia 0. Isco (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Marco Asensio.
Offside, Croatia. Josip Pivaric tries a through ball, but Ivan Perisic is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Ivan Santini (Croatia) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Spain. Thiago Alcántara replaces Saúl Ñíguez.
Substitution
Substitution, Croatia. Marko Pjaca replaces Marcelo Brozovic.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Ivan Perisic.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Lovre Kalinic.
Substitution
Substitution, Spain. Rodrigo replaces Sergio Busquets.
Offside, Croatia. Mateo Kovacic tries a through ball, but Josip Pivaric is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Spain 5, Croatia 0. Sergio Ramos (Spain) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Marco Asensio with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Domagoj Vida.
Attempt blocked. Rodrigo Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Isco.
