Can Croatia Surprise the World Champions? Spain vs Croatia Prediction | September 29, 2026
Spain host Croatia on September 29 in the second round of the UEFA Nations League - League A, with both sides looking to strengthen their position at the top of Group 3. Spain made a winning start against England, while Croatia also opened the campaign with three points against Czechia.
Match Preview
Spain come into the game after an impressive 3-2 victory over England. They fell 2-1 behind during the match but turned the game around to secure all three points. The result continued Spain's strong run and underlined the quality they possess in attack.
The Spaniards enjoyed a successful World Cup qualifying campaign and then carried that form into the tournament itself, further underlining their consistency at the highest level. Spain remain the reigning world champions and one of the leading teams in international football. Spain also have considerable experience in the Nations League, having won the tournament in 2022/23 and reached the final of the previous edition, where they lost to Portugal on penalties.
- Possible Spain Lineup: Unai Simon, Pubill, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Torres
Croatia also started the Nations League with a victory, beating Czechia 2-1 away from home. They remain a highly experienced international side and have continued to compete at a high level in recent major tournaments. Croatia put together a strong World Cup campaign, comfortably advancing from the group stage with wins over Panama and Ghana before being eliminated by Portugal in the Round of 32.
They also went through World Cup qualifying without defeat, finishing first in their group with only one draw. In the previous Nations League campaign, Croatia reached the quarter-finals after finishing second in their group, but France eventually eliminated them on penalties.
- Possible Croatia Lineup: Livakovic, Stanisic, Vuškovic, Gvardiol, Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, P.Sucic, L.Sucic Ivanovic, Matanovic
Head-to-Head
Spain have had the upper hand in this fixture in recent years. Croatia have failed to win any of the last three meetings, with Spain winning once and the other two matches ending in draws. Spain also won the most recent encounter 3-0 at the European Championship. Five of the last six encounters also produced at least three goals.
Key Trends
- Spain have won 7 of their last 8 matches.
- Spain are unbeaten in their last 30 games.
- Croatia have conceded in their last 3 matches.
- 5 of Croatia's last 6 matches have seen over 2.5 goals.
- Both teams scored in 5 of Croatia's last 6 matches.
- 5 of the last 6 head-to-head meetings have seen over 2.5 goals.
Prediction
Both sides have enough attacking quality to make this an entertaining contest. Spain arrive with greater momentum after beating England in their opening match. Their recent record is particularly strong, while they have also enjoyed considerable success against Croatia in recent years. Croatia have enough experience to make the game competitive, but their recent defensive record leaves room for Spain's attack to cause problems. With the hosts playing at home and both teams coming into the match after winning their opening games, the conditions are in place for an open encounter. The recent head-to-head record also points towards goals, with five of the last six meetings producing at least three. Spain's attacking quality should help maintain that trend. Recommended Bet: Over 3 Total Goals
