Luis de la Fuente put Spain back into something close to its strongest shape for Croatia Vs Spain in Split, restoring Unai Simón, Cubarsí, Cucurella and Oyarzabal after the previous match’s rotations. The Spain XI that arrived at the stadium on the day of jornada 4 in grupo C also included Pubill at right back, a sign the coach was done experimenting and wanted the match handled with his base team.
That choice landed on a day when Spain had 10 official victories in a row, with 24 goals scored, five conceded and possession controlled in every one of those games. The logic was simple: keep the structure that has carried La Roja this far, and use it against a Croatia side that has proved it can still be dangerous even after the 0-7 loss to England. Dani Olmo was part of that plan too, with Rodri and Pedri asked to help him shut down Croatia’s midfield before the game even began.
Spain had trained in Las Rozas before traveling to Split, then arrived ready to play a match that matters immediately because the quarterfinal place is on the line. The lineup Luis de la Fuente settled on was Unai Simón, Pubill, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Baena and Oyarzabal, a return to the familiar spine after a round of changes. One line from the build-up captured the mood better than any explanation: “Para buscar el pleno, sin medias tintas.”
Croatia did not answer with caution. Slaven Bilic made four changes from the XI that had been heavily beaten by England, bringing back Sutalo in the center of defense and Gvardiol at left back, while Jakic, Vlasic and Matanovic were added to the mix. Modric also started, after having come off the bench rather than begin the match at the Pizjuán, which showed the balance Croatia was trying to strike between recovery and resistance.
The friction is obvious. Spain arrived with form, control and a stronger XI, but Croatia arrived with enough edge to make the evening more than a formality. If de la Fuente’s restoration works, Spain move one step closer to the quarterfinals with the kind of authority that has defined this run. If it does not, the match in Split becomes the first real test of whether the clean record is as solid as it looks.
