Luis de la Fuente is Spain vs Italy clAshikoa match that could have easily been the final. Looking at the game, he may have been half right. His team beat Italy with an own goal from Riccardo Calafiori, winning a deadly group with one game to go, but that doesn’t tell the whole story, and doesn’t describe how they beat Italy. The surprise wasn’t that Luciano Spalletti’s team lost here, but that they managed to survive to the end and lose by such a narrow margin.
Spain are in the next round, and if they keep playing like this they will surely go further. On this evidence a place in the final is not just a pipe dream. There may be some concern that such a complete defeat would not have been an easy win, but what a performance this was. 20 shots fired, 50 attacks, a big name opponent smashed from minute one to the last, Ayoze Pérez came on and almost scored a second twice. They’ll have to get one somehow.
Heading into the match, coach Ramin Yamal spoke of the importance of playing one-on-one with the fullbacks from the start and never letting up. Coach Yamal said football is a “mental game.” If you beat your opponent the first time, you feel scared and it shows in their eyes. And if you don’t, you keep trying until you do. That was the theory, the idea that the Spain coach drilled into both wingers, and it was put into practice.
Just 85 seconds into the game, Nico Williams smashed past Giovanni Di Lorenzo and delivered a fantastic cross. Pedri leapt to head it in. Just a few centimetres away and it would have been an obvious opener, but Gianluigi Donnarumma raised an arm to push the ball over the bar. Williams was off the mark this time. The next time, he dove into the area and had a fleeting chance to shoot. The third time, it was off the mark again. Poor Di Lorenzo couldn’t take it. It was a wonder his feet weren’t cartoon-style tied.
Di Lorenzo was not alone in his suffering. At the other end, Federico Dimarco was soon suffering just as badly. Less than four minutes into the match, Lamine Yamal delivered the first dangerous ball, a warning that he too should not let his guard down. Nico and Lamine, Lamine and Nico. Again and again. What a pairing. Together, the two wingers are younger than Jesus Navas, a man Italy could never live without. There were “oohs” as Williams spun, “ahhs” as Lamine Yamal took a ridiculous touch to ward off a fierce charge from Lorenzo Pellegrini. And then attack after attack followed.
They weren’t the only ones. Marc Cucurella was brilliant. Rodri made this run but didn’t really look like he was running. Pedri and Fabian Ruiz made plays. Spain pressed high and also burst from deep to pulverize Italy. A beautiful move started with an Alvaro Morata header and ended with him curling a superb ball over the far post after Williams headed a clear chance wide.
Williams then dribbled past Di Lorenzo again and, 30 yards from goal, Lamine Yamal spun, leaving three men on the ground and handing the ball to Morata, who turned away from Ricardo Calafiori and drew a sharp save from Donnarumma. Then a neat exchange of passes between Pedri, Luis and Dani Carvajal set up Rodri on the edge of the area. Spain might have been three goals up and they were going strong. At half-time it was almost absurd that Spain weren’t leading. With nine shots to one, Italy didn’t have a shot on target until added time and, in fairness, it was a golden chance that Federico Chiesa cut out.
Still, Spain pressed on. Chances were missed. Cucurella played a perfect pass past Italy. Pedri side-footed from seven yards and then fell to the ground, his head on the ground in disbelief. But Italy couldn’t hold on forever. In fact, after 11 attempts, Italy scored. Again Williams did it, smashing past Di Lorenzo. Morata had just a touch on the cross, as did Donnarumma. Calafiori had another touch and deflected it into the net.
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Spain were leading but there was no respite. There was no mercy. Morata had a shot saved. Robin Le Normand’s header was cleared on the goal-line. Then Lamine Yamal curled a shot just past the far post from 20 yards. It would have been a great goal. The 16-year-old turned to the stands and motioned for them to stand up.
What a great goal this So it seemed to Spain. Williams cut in from the other end and shot a swinging shot that bounced off the bar. It seemed incredible that Spain were still up by one point and they were reminded it wasn’t over yet when Bryan Cristante sent a low cross into the six-yard box that Mateo Letegui just missed. But Spain would not allow it.
