Sofia Quijada
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Spain host Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday 29 September 2026, and the predicted lineups for this one are shaped as much by who is missing as by who is in form. Spain go into the match without a settled defender through injury, which opens a genuine selection question at the back, while Croatia’s picture looks far cleaner heading into kickoff. Both projections below are built from the most recent matches each side has played, not from any official team sheet.
Predicted Spain Line-up
Luis de la Fuente’s side are projected in a 4-3-3, which lines up with his own preferred formation, and the shape is largely settled, with 9 of the projected XI starting their last match. The one area of real uncertainty sits up front: Yeremy Pino and Alejandro Baena Rodríguez both feature in this expected XI despite not starting the single recent match this projection draws on, which is a reminder that the sample here is thin. With only one recent lineup available for Spain, this projection is tentative rather than settled fact, and it can shift once the squad is confirmed.
Spain predicted XI: Unai Simon; Marc Pubill, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella; Fabián Ruiz, Daniel Olmo Carvajal, Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante; Ferrán Torres, Yeremy Pino, Alejandro Baena Rodríguez
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 23 | Unai Simon | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 2 | Marc Pubill | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 14 | Aymeric Laporte | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 22 | Pau Cubarsí | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 24 | Marc Cucurella | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 8 | Fabián Ruiz | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 10 | Daniel Olmo Carvajal | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 16 | Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 7 | Ferrán Torres | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 11 | Yeremy Pino | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| F | 15 | Alejandro Baena Rodríguez | 0/1 | 0/1 |
Croatia Predicted XI
Slaven Bilic’s Croatia are projected in a 4-2-3-1, matching his own preferred setup, and this is a settled side – 11 of the projected XI started their last match. Every outfield player and the goalkeeper carry an identical start record in the data used here, so there is no single individual whose inclusion looks more marginal than another’s; the whole eleven simply reflects the last lineup Croatia fielded. As with Spain, though, this is drawn from just one recent match, so it should be read as a working projection rather than a confirmed team.
Croatia predicted XI: Dominik Livaković; Josip Stanišić, Josko Gvardiol, Ivan Perišić, Luka Vuskovic; Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Petar Sučić, Luka Sučić, Franjo Ivanovic; Igor Matanovic
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Dominik Livaković | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 2 | Josip Stanišić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 4 | Josko Gvardiol | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 14 | Ivan Perišić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 22 | Luka Vuskovic | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 8 | Mateo Kovačić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 10 | Luka Modrić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 17 | Petar Sučić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 21 | Luka Sučić | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 16 | Franjo Ivanovic | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 20 | Igor Matanovic | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Eric García is out injured, which thins Spain’s options in defence specifically. Of the players on the bench, Alejandro Grimaldo is the clearest fit to step into that back line if de la Fuente needs to make a change there.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric García | D | injured | Jumpers knee |
For Croatia, no absentees are recorded in the data, meaning the squad Bilic has to choose from is effectively at full strength for this trip. Should he look to rotate regardless, Josip Šutalo is the bench option best placed to slot into the back four without disrupting the rest of the setup.
Where These Predictions Come From
Both projections above are built from each side’s last matches_used lineup – one apiece here – with more recent appearances weighted more heavily than older ones, and any player confirmed injured or suspended stripped out before the XI is assembled. Because only a single recent lineup was available for both Spain and Croatia, this projection is necessarily thin and should be treated as an educated estimate rather than a certainty. It will be updated as more matches are played and can change entirely once the official team news is released before kickoff.
Read also: Spain vs Croatia Head-to-Head: Record, Stats & Form as of 27 Sep 2026
Read also: Spain vs Croatia Prediction: 29.09.2026 UEFA Nations League
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Spain vs Croatia?
Unai Simon is projected to start in goal for Spain, with Dominik Livaković expected between the posts for Croatia.
What formation will Spain and Croatia use?
Spain are projected in a 4-3-3 under Luis de la Fuente, while Croatia are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 under Slaven Bilic.
Who is unavailable for Spain and Croatia?
Spain are without Eric García, who is out injured, while no absentees are recorded in the data for Croatia.
When do Spain and Croatia kick off?
The UEFA Nations League fixture between Spain and Croatia kicks off on Tuesday 29 September 2026.