Livakovic returns to the Pizjuán: Lamine Yamal threatens Barcelona's goalkeeper

Dominik Livakovic steps onto the Sánchez Pizjuán pitch on Tuesday wearing the Croatia shirt, just days after making his Barcelona debut in that same stadium. The 31-year-old goalkeeper returns to the Seville ground to face Spain in the second matchday of the Nations League group stage, a game in which he will have half a dozen club teammates in front of him and, above all, a Lamine Yamal in spectacular form.

• Livakovic made his Barcelona debut on March 19 at the Pizjuán, conceding a goal from Fofana after replacing Joan García due to knee discomfort.
• The Croatian goalkeeper returns to the same stadium with his national team to face Spain in the Nations League.
• Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Fermín López, Ferran Torres and other Spanish internationals will test the Barcelona shot-stopper.
• Croatia have lost all three previous matches against Spain in which Livakovic started and completed the 90 minutes.
• The winger from Rocafonda already faced the keeper at Euro 2024, providing an assist without scoring against him.

Livakovic's return to the Sánchez Pizjuán, his Barcelona debut stadium

The Sánchez Pizjuán became a special ground for Livakovic on March 19, when Hansi Flick handed him his Barcelona debut in goal due to Joan García's knee problems. That afternoon he conceded one goal, scored by Fofana, in what was his first official appearance in the blaugrana shirt. Now, little more than a week later, the goalkeeper returns to the Seville stadium in a very different context: as Croatia's starter with the mission of stopping one of the most in-form national teams on the continent.

Lamine Yamal, the biggest test for the Croatian goalkeeper

The Rocafonda-born forward arrives at the match in outstanding form. Last Saturday he scored against England at Wembley and he has eight goals for Barcelona so far this season. Livakovic knows him well: he suffers him in training with the Catalan side and is fully aware of the speed and accuracy with which the winger attacks opposition boxes. This will not be their first meeting on the pitch, as both coincided at Euro 2024, when Lamine provided an assist in Spain's 3-0 win without managing to beat him.

The Barcelona teammates who become rivals

Besides the Catalan winger, Livakovic will have to watch out for other players he shares a dressing room with at Barcelona. Dani Olmo, Fermín López and Ferran Torres are all called up by Luis de la Fuente for this match, turning the game into a double test for the goalkeeper: defending Croatia's goal while also proving his quality in front of his own coach and club teammates. Hansi Flick has seven Barcelona players in this squad, a number that reflects the weight of the Catalan club in the Spanish national team.

Livakovic's record against Spain: three games, three defeats

Livakovic has defended Croatia's goal in 80 international matches and has crossed paths with Spain on three occasions. In all of them he started and completed the 90 minutes, and in all of them his team ended up losing. The first was in the Euro 2021 round of 16, with a 5-3 win for La Roja in extra time. The second came in the 2023 Nations League final, decided on penalties with a 5-4 victory for Spain. The third, in the Euro 2024 group stage, ended in a resounding 3-0.

What is at stake for Croatia in the second Nations League matchday

Croatia approach the Pizjuán match needing points to avoid complicating their qualification in the Nations League group. The Balkan side, used to competing in the final stages of major tournaments, hopes to make up for their three recent defeats against Spain and prove that the generational transition has not reduced their competitiveness. For Livakovic, it is also an opportunity to prove himself in a stadium that is already part of his personal history and where his performance will be closely watched from Barcelona.

The exceptional moment of the Spanish national team

Spain arrive at the match after winning at Wembley and with their attacking machine well oiled. The presence of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres demands maximum concentration from the Croatian goalkeeper. It is not only about the individual quality of each attacker, but also the speed and width with which La Roja occupies the pitch. Luis de la Fuente's team has turned attack into its best weapon, and Livakovic knows this better than anyone from what he sees every day in Barcelona training.