EURO 2020

EURO 2020 Half-time: Croatia 1-1 Spain

That half had a bit of everything – it was tight and technical, but still played at a ferocious pace. Oh, and it featured a ridiculous own goal. More soon! Rebic puts Simon under pressure again, forcing the keeper to hoof away downfield. Rebic almost connects with a near-post cross, but Simon is off his line smartly to gather it in.

Off the ball at least, Spain are adopting a 4-4-effin-2, with Torres accompanying Morata and Sarabia assisting in prising the ball off Modric in midfield. ITV reports that the own goal is now being credited to Pedri, which suggests Unai Simon didn’t make contact at all. It certainly looked like he did. It was a bad mistake, but I do wonder quite why Pedri put so much unnecessary swazz on the back pass.

Spain really turned up the pressure here, flooding white shirts forward – and it paid off as Gaya’s shot was parried by Livakovic, but only as far as Pablo Sarabia, who lashed the ball into the top corner! Torres twists and turns down by the right corner flag, but sees his cross cut out by Gvardiol. From the corner, Gaya’s shot cannons wide off Azpilicueta’s shins.

Rebic gets a talking-to from the ref after a couple of clumsy barges on Koke in midfield. I’m still reeling from that goal, I’ll be honest. Croatia wants to shoot at every opportunity now, with Kocavic cutting inside and blasting his shot a couple of feet over the bar. By the way, that was the ninth own goal of this strange tournament – and surely the most amusing.

That bizarre goal has completely reenergised Croatia. They pour forward, appealing in vain for a handball before Rebic fires a shot into the side netting. Before Simon’s shocker, Morata appealed for a penalty as his header struck Vida’s hand – but the defender’s arms were firmly by his side.

Spain works the ball around midfield before Pedri whips a long-back pass towards Unai Simon. The keeper goes to control it, but shins it in the comedy fashion instead – and it pings into the corner of the net. That’s a horror show, I’m afraid.

Busquets tees up Morata, who strolls into the area but runs the ball too wide. His cut back allows Sarabia an optimistic shot from a tight angle which slaps into the side netting.

Second half awaits