Spain beats Croatia twice in an impossible game
"Maybe or maybe not". Luis Enrique's favourite phrase when he coached Barça and journalists asked him if he was going to make changes for the next game. As a coach, he also uses this maxim to play a game of misdirection when it comes to line-up changes. What the Spanish coach did not lie about was that "all 24 called-up players can play". After four games, the only outfield player who has not played is Diego Llorente. Goalkeepers De Gea and Robert Sánchez have also failed to make their Euro 2020 debuts.
Against Croatia, Gayá and Ferrán Torres were the new faces compared to the defeat against Poland. Gerard Moreno has succumbed to Morata and Azpilicueta has been strong at right-back. Sarabia was the coach's personal bet and has responded with two important goals in recent games. Jesús Casas, Luis Enrique's deputy, commented before the match that the changes were in response to Croatia's play, but that he could not say any more. The football theoreticians accompanying the national team are unknown to the general public, but they have a very important technical profile.
Spain began the match in Copenhagen in front of just over a thousand compatriots. The stands were populated by red and white Harlequins and water polo caps. There were more of them and they whistled louder because they were outnumbered by the red. Morata fuelled the controversy by heading back a ball a metre from the goal line. Everything was going well until Pedri decided to give the ball away to Unai Simón from 30 metres out. The Athletic goalkeeper was more intent on the next move than controlling the ball and in an instant he had the ball in the back of the net. Spain gave away the 0-1 lead and collapsed. Croatia appreciated the gift and went after their opponents. Modric's men are war veterans when they put on the shirt of their country and they manage the tempo like nobody else. All cut from the same sporting cloth.
Before half-time Sarabia scored to make it 1-1 from Gayá's play. In the 57th minute Azpilicueta headed in Ferrán Torres' cross into the six-yard box to turn the game on its head. Spain added good minutes and turned Morata into their guiding light in attack. He was bringing balls down from the sky and distributing them to his team-mates. A dirty job but very much appreciated by the coaches. Dani Olmo and Pau Torres gave La Roja some oxygen and the centre-back sent a long ball to Ferrán Torres who caught the Croatian defence off guard and scored to make it 1-3. With the score in their favour with 15 minutes to go, Luis Enrique brought on Alba and Fabián to keep his players active and use up the five substitutions. That was six because UEFA had granted an extra one in extra time, and it was for Oyarzabal.
The goal-line hawk's eye awarded Orsic the 2-3 from a messy play inside the Spain box. And the same striker headed in Pasalic to make it 3-3 in the 88th minute to Spain's despair. Spain's inexperience handed Croatia the final stretch of the match. Unai Simon more than made up for his mistake by making two great saves and using his feet with confidence. The match ended with Croatia stepping on Spain's penalty area and calling up the ghosts of the past. The match was already historic after 90 minutes and extra time was to elevate it to the altars of football.
Morata scored in the 100th minute to make it 3-4, a superb strike into the top corner after controlling Dani Olmo's ball with his right and breaking it with his left. His endless professional anguish had a moment of relief with that goal. Olmo set up Oyarzabal again for the final 3-5. Croatia was no longer able to cope with this new Spanish challenge and Luis Enrique's side were able to handle the final minutes better than they had done in normal time.
Spain is through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 with 11 goals scored and four conceded. Their play is still unreliable, there is no goalscorer and their goalkeeping is as insecure as it was at the World Cup in Russia. But each game helps them to improve in the next. The players are gaining the experience they lack as a team and are already among the eight best teams in Europe. Laporte, Busquets and Gayá finished the game with niggles. It won't be a problem for the coach who has already shown that the only untouchable is Morata. He has also learned to accept mistakes and to correct them. Blessed Euro. On Friday at 18:30 Switzerland awaits in St. Petersburg. The weakest opponent for the most insecure Spain.
