Such is the nature of covering a team at a tournament like the European Championship, that you are never sure when you will be returning home. It is safe to say however that journalists following Spain will have made provision to be in France for the long haul after two excellent performances from La Roja which have increased expectations for the defending champions.
Particularly impressive was their 3-0 destruction of Turkey on Friday night, a game which saw Spain convincingly answer the critics who had questioned whether or not the side could score enough goals. Tuesday evening sees Vicente Del Bosque's men take on a Croata side still reeling from their game with the Czech Republic, where Ante Cacic's men surrendered a two goal lead to draw 2-2 and were visibly affected by the crowd trouble which saw flares thrown onto the pitch.
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Further trouble could see the side thrown out of the tournament, which would be a real shame given how well they have played for the majority of their two games so far. On top of the off-field distractions, there is a question mark over the fitness of Luka Modric who went off against the Czechs clutching his groin, and the Real Madrid midfielder is absolutely key to Croatia's hopes.
Betway price a win for the Balkan nation at 18/5 (4.60) and had the side won their last game with no crowd trouble or injuries, then there may have been some interest in this price. Yet the atmosphere surrounding the side has been plunged into negativity, the last thing they needed when preparing to face a side with the calibre of Spain. With La Roja already through to the last 16, Del Bosque may make a few changes, yet the strength in depth of the squad available to him is extraordinary, and the quality on offer will barely diminsh.
Indeed those players coming in will be desperate to give the manager something to think about having fielded the same starting line-up in both games, so motivation is unlikely to be a problem, plus Spain want to avoid defeat to finish top of Group D and secure a favorable path to the latter stages.
Goal
The price therefore, of evens (2.00) for another victory for the 2010 World Cup winners looks tempting, with this being by far the biggest price we have seen for Spain so far in the tournament. The side are playing well, full of confidence and without any injuries, meaning punters can invest in another win for La Roja.
Elsewhere bolder punters could be interested in backing La Roja to win without conceding which was our winning tip in their two previous group games and which is offered at a healthy looking 15/8 (2.88), while Del Bosque's men are also priced at 2/1 (3.00) to be winning at half time/full time and at 19/4 (5.75) to win both halves.
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