Croatia Falls to Spain in Pulsating Euro 2020 Extra-Time Thriller

Heartbreak for Croatia as Spain Advances to Quarterfinals

Extra-time goals from Morata and Oyarzabal prove decisive in thrilling encounter

In a pulsating extra-time thriller, Spain emerged victorious over Croatia in the round of 16 of Euro 2020. After a tense 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 draw, Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal struck in extra time to send La Roja into the quarterfinals. The victory represents a major setback for Croatia, who had high hopes of reaching the latter stages of the tournament. For Spain, it is a morale-boosting win that keeps their title aspirations alive. The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating chances throughout. Croatia took the lead in the 20th minute through Mislav Orsic, but Spain equalized just minutes later through Pablo Sarabia. Neither team could find a winning goal in regulation time, so the match went to extra time.

Spain dominated extra time, and it was only a matter of time before they found the breakthrough. Morata scored in the 100th minute, and Oyarzabal added a second just six minutes later. Croatia pushed for a goal in the closing stages, but they could not find a way past Spain's resolute defense. The result is a major disappointment for Croatia, who were hoping to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive European Championship. Spain, meanwhile, will be buoyed by this victory as they look ahead to the quarterfinals. They will face either France or Switzerland in the next round.