As a result of the draw for the continental championship, Spain and Croatia were placed in Group B together with Italy and Albania. Such a company may well claim the status of the "group of death". The Iberian team made it to the UEFA EURO after losing only to the unexpectedly tough Scots in the qualifying tournament and winning all other matches. Croatia had much more trouble qualifying, finishing in the final second place against Turkey, Wales and Armenia. Both teams are in the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings. The last time the teams met was in last year's Nations League final, when both regulation and extra time ended in a draw. Dani Carvajal scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout, who also scored the winning goal in the recent Champions League final. Bookmakers chose the Spanish team as the favourite for one of the most notable matches of the first round, offering odds of 1.89 on their victory.

It should not be forgotten that the mentioned victories of Spain in the Nations League and UEFA EURO qualification hides the total failure of the young Iberian team at the World Cup in Qatar. In this regard, the demanding Spanish public is definitely not expecting a relaxed game from their favourites. Importantly, the Red Fury have most likely completed a generational change. Young players in the national team's main squad have become full-fledged leaders. These are Rodri, Pedri, Yamal. The composition of the Spanish team allows analysts to consider it one of the favourites for the continental championship, even despite the absence of Gavi.

The Croatian team has been extremely successful since 2018, when it won the "silver" of the world championship for the first time. Thereafter, Modric and company have achieved a large number of significant results. Despite the fact that no title has yet been conquered by the Croatians, Croatian fans have a lot to be proud of over the past six years. Another thing is that while Spain's generational change has already ended, Croatia's painful period is still ahead of them. And, for sure, the problems will start already at the upcoming EURO, as it is unlikely that the "old guard" led by 38-year-old Modric will be able to fight on equal terms with the fast young players of the Red Fury.