Basque-ing In The Sun

Spain took the 'close match' mantra to smithereens; as they dispatched close rivals Croatia 3-0 in what was supposed to be a close match. Don't get me wrong though: it was much closer than it seemed; with Croatia emerging in the second half to threaten a fightback and even missing a penalty and having a goal disallowed for encroachment.

Such was Spain's professionalism though; that they refused to allow Croatia a way back into it; and for that I gave them credit. There were some eyebrows raised when Chelsea's Marc Cucurella was chosen in the starting line-up ahead of the more-heralded Alejandro Grimaldo of unbeaten Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen; but in the course of the game you could see why. More tenacious than he looks; Cucurella did a game-changing block on Croatian right-back Josip Stanisic just when Croatia threatened to get back into it.

The no striker mantra also looks in tatters; now that Alvaro Morata looks sharper than ever. With strength in depth from the likes of Real Sociedad legend Mikel Ayarzabal and RB Leipzig's highly-rated Dani Olmo; Spain could yet have a complete team to take this tournament by the horns.