Josh Lawless
One of Spain's most impressive records has come to an end after 136 games despite victory over Croatia.
La Roja kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign in perfect fashion with a 3-0 win in Berlin.
Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Carvajal were all on target in the first half as the three-time winners got off to a winning start.
Spain are always among the favourites for the Euros and got to the semi-finals last time around in 2021 before being by Italy on penalties.
They are slipping under the radar a little this time around but showed they are a threat for the tournament with their first fixture.
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But surprisingly, for the first time in 136 competitive games, Spain had less possession than their opponents.
As per journalist @dermotmcorrigan, Spain had 47% of the ball compared to Croatia's 53%.
The last time it happened was back in the Euro 2008 final, when Spain beat Germany courtesy of a Fernando Torres strike.
Spain are known as being one of the greatest teams with the ball and a nation who pride themselves on playing out from the back.
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But their style has shifted recently under Luis de la Fuente, with two quick and technical young wingers darting down the flanks in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
The pair were electric in the opener, with Yamal making history as the youngest player in Euros history at the age of 16 years and 338 days.
He capped off his tournament debut with an assist and stunning display.
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Beforehand, De la Fuente spoke about the special pair of talents.
"They are young players, especially Lamine, he's a young boy, with incredible talent that only the chosen ones have," De la Fuente told reporters in a press conference.
"They have a gift from God, very few players have these qualities."
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