Croatia hand Spain biggest-ever EHF EURO defeat

The Croatian players showed a defensive masterclass, completely ruining the recognisable Spanish game in the first 30 minutes. The high-scoring game went to another level as the second half commenced, with Spain completely unravelling, and ending in their biggest-ever defeat in EHF EURO history.

GROUP B

Spain vs Croatia 29:39 (14:18)

• Croatia had a blistering start, leaving Spain with only one goal scored in seven minutes
• left back Tin Lucin and right wing Mario Sostaric scored half of the Croatian goals in the first half, five and four goals respectively
• Spain converted only 54 per cent of the shots in the first half compared to Croatia's 72 per cent; by the end of the game they were at 56 per cent and 78 per cent respectively
• Spain tried to shake things up with 5:1 while trailing by nine but without a goalkeeper save until the 55th minute they could not hope for more
• the top Spanish scorer in the tough defeat was Alexis Gómez, netting eight times
• this was Croatia team captain Domagoj Duvnjak's 50th EHF EURO match
• Ivan Martinovic received the Player of the Match award, presented by Grundfos after his strong performance and eight goals scored from 10 attempts

The Croatian dream becomes a reality

In the days leading up to the start of the Men's EHF EURO 2024, everyone in Croatia was talking about the first game against Spain and its importance. However, the new Croatian generation took the pressure with ease, strongly believing in what they have been building in the last couple of months and their team spirit.

From the first minute, on the impetus of their fans who were carrying them through thick and thin, it seemed like Croatia were determined to get their revenge for the EHF EURO 2020 final defeat when Spain came in the way of the only gold missing. Players like Ivan Martinovic, Veron Nacinovic, Tin Lucin and Zvonimir Srna became the leaders on the court proving Croatia has a bright future.

Meanwhile, Spanish coach Jordi Ribera will have a sleepless night as there are still many unanswered questions about the Spanish play, especially their defence.