Spain vs Croatia Euro Cup 2012 Betting Picks + Odds
Both of these sides sit on four points heading into the final fixture period for group C action. With Italy sitting on two points, and a match against Ireland, these two know that a draw is not going to cut it.
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When: Monday, June 18, 2012 at 2:45 PM EST
Where: PGE Arena Gdansk
TV: ESPN
Line: Croatia (+650), Spain (-130), Draw (+165)
While the smart money will obviously be on Spain, don’t look past Croatia in this one.
Here are two teams that breezed past the Irish, and both sides had a one all draw with Italy, so in recent matches not much separated them on the score line. The way in which each match was played out is what separates them though.
In their match with Italy, Spain allowed very few chances for the opposition. The Italians struck first, but the Spanish came back within five minutes to draw even. They also had more than a couple clear-cut chances in the second half to walk away with full point.
Meanwhile, during Croatia’s version, they had to scratch and claw for every bit of that one point. Not to say they looked bad during this match, but few can bring the class to the pitch that the Spaniards do day in and day out. [ad-3678122]
Players to Watch:
Croatia – Luka Modric
I could go with any one of their forwards here, given that they have each scored twice in this competition so far. But I’m going to stick with their playmaker. Modric has been a stable force in the Croatian midfield. He has indirectly led to a couple of the goals thus far, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got one himself before it’s all said and done.
Spain – Fernando Torres
This one goes without saying really, and if Torres had the form in their first match that he carried showed in the second, Spain would be through right now. He let a couple of wide-open opportunities waste away. In the match against the Irish though, Torres was much better. Finishing two of his chances, and just looking more confident and decisive on the ball. If that guy shows up again, don’t be surprised to see Torres put another couple of goals in the back of the net.
Matt’s Free Pick– Spain– Spain is the obvious choice to win here, but I honestly like a draw in this spot with everything on the line for Croatia. They have looked way too good in this tournament so far, just to walk away in group play. Anything other than a quarterfinal appearance will be a disappointment at this stage. They may need some help from Ireland though.
