Sports Mole looks at how Croatia could line up in Saturday’s Euro 2024 clash with Spain.
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has big decisions to make when it comes to his starting side for the country’s Euro 2024 opener against Spain on Saturday.
The midfield picks itself, with Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic set to feature as the central three, while Dominik Livakovic is undoubtedly the number one goalkeeper.
Josip Stanisic and Josko Gvardiol are certainties at the back, as is Josip Sutalo, but there have been contrasting reports over his centre-back partner, with Marin Pongracic potentially just getting the nod.
Arguably Dalic’s biggest calls will come in the final third of the field, and it might well be that he leaves both Ivan Perisic and Bruno Petkovic out of his starting XI against Spain.
Perisic is still not at 100% due to a serious knee injury which he suffered last September, while Ante Budimir may be given the nod over Petkovic at centre-forward.
Andrej Kramaric is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 28, and he will feature in the final third of the field, while there is also expected to be a start for Lovro Majer.
Majer has eight goals in 31 caps for his country, and the 26-year-old will enter Euro 2024 off the back of scoring five goals and registering five assists in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg last season.
Croatia possible starting lineup: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Brozovic, Kovacic, Modric; Majer, Budimir, Kramaric
> Click here to see how Spain could line up for the fixture
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