Croatia face world champions Spain in Seville

Croatia face their toughest test of the Nations League so far tonight when they take on reigning World Cup champions Spain in Seville.

The match kicks off at 8:45 p.m., at the same time as the other Group match in Prague, where the Czech Republic host England.

Spain made an impressive start to their Nations League campaign, beating England 3-2 at Wembley in their opening match. Croatia, meanwhile, began with a victory over the Czech Republic in Prague.

Changes expected for Croatia

Croatia are expected to make several changes to the starting lineup compared with the match in Prague.

Martin Baturina has recovered from a virus and is expected to start, while Ante Budimir could come into the side in place of Igor Matanović in attack.

Josip Stanišić, however, will miss the match after falling ill. He missed Croatia’s final training session and was left out of the squad of 23 players registered for the game.

Croatia coach Slaven Bilić confirmed that changes are likely but was reluctant to reveal his starting lineup at his pre-match press conference.

“We have a number of players who did not play in the Czech Republic. Some are returning after a virus, while two players have felt minor problems, although fortunately neither has a fever,” Bilić said.

“We still have two more matches ahead of us, and that is also an important reason why we will use the Nations League both to fight for the best possible result and as a form of preparation for the European Championship.”

Kovačić: “There is nothing better than playing the best”

Spain enter the match as favorites and will be looking to extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 40 matches.

Croatia, however, head to Seville without the same pressure, and midfielder Mateo Kovačić believes that facing the world's best is precisely the kind of challenge the team wants.

“Spain are certainly the best team in the world. They play phenomenal football. There is nothing better than playing against the very best. We can’t wait,” Kovačić said at the pre-match press conference.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expects Croatia to provide a stern test.

“We are playing against a national team we know very well, with players of great talent. We will have to perform better than we did in London against England,” de la Fuente said.

“It is clear that Croatia can compete. The worst thing in these situations is that even if you are the better team, you can still lose. Croatia have talent, and we have to demand more and more from ourselves.”

With Spain holding home advantage and arriving as world champions, Croatia face a formidable challenge in Seville. But after beginning the Nations League with a win in Prague, Croatia will be looking to produce another strong performance and come away with a result against one of international football’s leading sides.