Spain arrived at the Stadion Poljud knowing that a single point would be enough to guarantee their progression to the knockout stages, but they were met by a Croatia side determined to restore pride following a heavy defeat to England. La Roja, usually so composed in possession, found themselves hurried into mistakes as the home side dominated the early physical battles, looking to exploit any sign of complacency in the Spanish ranks.
The hosts did not have to wait long for their aggressive start to pay dividends, taking the lead after just 17 minutes. After Unai Simon had made a sharp reflex save to deny a close-range header from Josip Stanisic, the Spanish goalkeeper was called into action again to parry a powerful drive from Igor Matanovic. However, the rebound fell perfectly for Ivan Perisic, who reacted quickest to head the ball into the net and spark wild celebrations in the stands.
Spain struggled to find their rhythm for much of the first half, as Croatia’s midfield trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Kristijan Jakic successfully congested the central areas. Even the creative vision of Pedri was limited by the lack of space, forcing the visitors to rely heavily on the individual brilliance of Lamine Yamal and his overlapping runs with Pubill on the right flank. Despite a late first-half flurry where Yamal hit the side netting after a sublime pass from Pedri, Spain went into the interval trailing, needing a significant tactical shift to turn the tide in their favour.