Spain 3-0 Croatia: Croatia Player Ratings as they suffer disappointing defeat to begin Euros | 2024 European Championship

It was a poor start to the EURO 2024 for Croatia as they were thoroughly outplayed by a clinical Spain side 0-3 in their Group B opening clash on Saturday, June 15.

Headlined by the star-studded midfield trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic, Zlatko Dalic's side looked to emulate their antics from the 2018 World Cup where they made the final.

After a cautious opening 20 minutes as the two sides saw each other out, it was La Roja who struck first blood. Rodri's defense-splitting pass found Alvaro Morata who finished coolly in the 29th minute.

PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz doubled their lead just three minutes later with a precise effort. Spain ended the half in style, with Dani Carvajal tapping home a great cross from Lamine Yamal to make it 3-0 in stoppage time.

Croatia searched for a way back in the second half but struggled to create clear-cut chances. There was drama as they won a penalty but the effort was saved, with the goal from the rebound ruled out as well.

The result puts Croatia in a spot of bother. With games against Italy and Albania to come up, they will be hoping to put this game behind them soon. Here are the player ratings:

Croatia Player Ratings

Dominik Livakovic - 4.5/10

Livakovic had a difficult day out as he struggled to thwart any of Spain's attacks, finishing with just two saves.

Josip Stanisic - 5/10

The Bayern Munich defender looked to provide an outlet on the right flank but was not really effective.

Josip Sutalo - 4.5/10

Sutalo was caught out of position regularly, notably finding himself too wide for Morata's opener.

Marin Pongracic - 4.5/10

Similar to his partner in central defense, Pongracic also struggled against Spain's attacks.

Josko Gvardiol - 5.5/10

The Manchester City star offered something going forward but it did not prove to be enough. He finished the game with two long balls and three passes into the final third.

Luka Modric - 5.5/10

Modric was forced to go deep for the ball as the backline struggled to deal with the pressure from Spain's front line. However, he could not produce his usual magic and was eventually subbed off at the hour mark.

Marcelo Brozovic - 5/10

Brozovic struggled to make an impact with the game seemingly being played at a tempo higher than he was accustomed to.

Mateo Kovacic - 5.5/10

He looked good with a few of his dribbles but more or less was similar to his midfield counterparts in being unable to make a difference.

Lovro Majer - 6/10

Probably the side's best attacker on the night, the Wolfsburg attacker tried his best against Marc Cucurella on Croatia's right-hand side. He finished the game with one shot, two chances created, two passes into the final third, and four touches in Spain's box.

Ante Budimir - 4.5/10

The striker cut a frustrated figure in the first period after struggling to get proper service before being replaced in the second half.

Andrej Kramaric - 4/10

The Hoffenheim man was kept silent for most of the game by an effective Dani Carvajal, limited to just two shots and 38 touches all game.

Substitutes

Ivan Perisic - 5.5/10

Came in for Budimir as part of a shuffle but couldn't make much of an impact.

Mario Pasalic - 5/10

Replaced Modric but was largely silent for his half-hour cameo.

Luka Sucic - 5/10

Suffered a similar fate to Pasalic having replaced Kovacic, unable to change the game in Croatia's favor.

Bruno Petkovic - 4/10

Squandered a golden opportunity with the goal gaping to pull his side back. He was given a reprieve from the spot but missed from there as well.