Spain, against Modric

Spain plays the round of 16 against Croatia on Monday June 28 in Copenhagen (6:00 p.m., Telecinco). Rival complicated by football and by faith, because no matter how difficult the situation is, they always manage to rebuild. They were on the edge of the abyss at halftime against the Czech Republic in the second game (they were down 1-0 after losing to England in their debut), they rebuilt, tied that match and beat Scotland in the last, in a duel that reached the final stage in a drawl.

Led by a Luka Modric who has been in 62 games this season when he is just turning 36 years old, they are an uncomfortable team, with talent and above all, they have character. On the bench is Zlatko Dalic, a true leader in whom all footballers believe. A little known coach to the general public but who has changed the face of Croatia in the last three years. He took the team when qualifying for the 2018 World Cup was played, just 48 hours before an all-or-nothing match against Ukraine, went to work six weeks without a contract until he achieved the goal and turned a desolate group into runner-up in the world in Russia.

Now, it has carried out a very complicated renovation: changes in a veteran group that made history. The mix between young and experienced begins to pay off. Five footballers who started the final against France in 2018 repeated last Tuesday against Scotland (Lovren, Vida, Brozovic, Modric and Perisic) and they have been joined by an excellent batch of young people who ensure the continuity of the project. Gvardiol (19 years old), Vlasic (23) and Petkovic (26) stand out, that were not there then but are now important pieces. Also Kovacic, who at 27 has been a member of the Croatian national team for many years but is now the first major tournament in which he has the undisputed role that he always claimed.

Two pillars of recent successes are missing: Rakitic and Mandzukic left the national team. It cost the new project to carburet, but after the criticism received after drawing against the Czechs now everything is back to being euphoria. Because that is the great virtue of the Croats: to go from defeatism to optimism in just minutes, the same time it takes for the national team to turn critical moments. Now, again supported by a Modric that it is impossible to guess how long the gasoline will last, they are a very tough test for Spain in the second round …