Spain to face hosts Russia as Croatia try to keep their momentum in match against Denmark

Spain will face World Cup hosts Russia today, as they hope to overlook an unimpressive start to their campaign, which however surprisingly led to them topping their group in a remarkable final.

The Spaniards’ history with host countries does not bode well for them, and they hope to improve defensively as they face one of the highest goal scorers of the tournament so far. 

The entire Spanish squad is available, with Fernando Hierro most probably looking to make changes to the team's formation.

Russia’s defeat against Urugay has not upset the hosts too much, as they try to learn from their mistakes and hope to be spurred on by the home crowd’s support. 

The dark horses of the tournament, Croatia, will later in the day player Denmark, as both countries look to advance to the next stage of the tournament.

Despite Croatia looking as the favourites, Denmark come from an 18-game undefeated run, with Croatian coac Zlatko Dalic seeing the game as an excellent match for what is considered to be the country’s golden generation of footballers. 

After today's matches, Brazil will face Mexico on Monday in one of the most anticipated games of the round. 

For all the latest tournament results, check out MaltaToday's World Cup page.