Spain can secure their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals when they face Croatia in Split on Tuesday, with the Group 3 leaders arriving three points clear of England and still holding a perfect record.
The fourth-round meeting at Stadion Poljud starts at 20:45 local time on 6 October. It is the final match of the international window for both sides and carries sharply different pressures: Luis de la Fuente’s Spain can complete qualification with another victory, while Slaven Bilic’s Croatia need three points to preserve their own hopes of reaching the last eight.
Spain seek another statement in Split
Spain defeated Croatia 4-1 when the teams met in the second round of the group campaign, a result that established the gap the hosts must now try to close. Another Spanish win would extend their run of victories and ensure progression before the final group fixtures.
England and the Czech Republic make up the other half of Group 3. The top two teams advance to the quarter-finals, while the countries finishing third and fourth will have their League A futures decided in comparison with the corresponding positions in the other groups. They could remain in the top tier, enter a survival play-off or drop directly into League B.
A decisive night for Croatia
Croatia’s task is straightforward in Split: beat the group leaders and keep the race alive. Failure to do so would leave Bilic’s side reliant on other results and calculations in the closing stage of the section.
For Spain, the trip is an opportunity to turn a strong group start into an early qualification night. Their previous four-goal display against Croatia gives them recent authority in the fixture, but Poljud offers the hosts a final chance in this window to alter the shape of the group.
The match will be shown live in Spain on La 1 and RTVE Play.
