Spain asks for an appointment with the host
The national team beats Georgia (4-1) with a comeback and will seek the EURO semifinals against Germany on Friday
MADRID, 30 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish national team qualified this Sunday for the quarter-finals of the European Championship being played in Germany after defeating Georgia 4-1 at the RheinEnergie in Cologne, against whom they encountered their first problems in the tournament that they managed to overcome despite the resistance led by Giorgi Mamardashvili, but that did not prevent their top-level duel against the host country next Friday.
Spain made its appointment to face Germany for a place in the semi-finals. A duel between the two most successful teams in the event, with three titles each, and to which the team led by Luis de la Fuente arrives after overcoming its first game with more difficulty than expected and with less lucidity, especially in the first 45 minutes, than it had shown until then.
Georgia did not test Unai Simón, but was ahead on the scoreboard after an own goal by Robin Le Normand, which the ‘Red’ managed to overcome, being more erratic than usual and running into the figure of a Mamardashvili. The Valencia goalkeeper was the best of his team, but in the end he could not prevent the end of his team’s dream in Germany against a much better opponent after the break when he lowered his heart rate and Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams appeared.
Spain soon realised that all they had done was of little use from then on. De la Fuente opted for his expected eleven to try to disarm a Georgia team that they dominated from the opening whistle, but that was the first to strike and give a warning that they were not going to make things easy.
After a series of opportunities for La Roja with Pedri and Carvajal, and with Mamardashvili making it clear why he is surely the best goalkeeper in the tournament, Willy Sagnol’s team ‘caught up’ on a counterattack against their opponents, who were too focused at times. Kakabadze came in alone on the right and his cross only had one possible finisher, Kvaratskhelia, who also failed because it was Le Normand who put the ball into his own goal.
There was still plenty of time left and it was time to see how they were going to handle this unusual scenario at the EURO, which was also somewhat unexpected. The Nations League champions went all out for the equaliser, but were often too hasty and hasty, with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz still not getting the hang of the match, and with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams well held back by the Georgian defensive work.
Even so, despite being exposed in a couple of Georgia counterattacks, the best player of the match continued to be the Valencia goalkeeper, who raised a ‘wall’ ready to make the most of the spoils he had won, especially with two great saves on Cucurella and Williams. But he finally had to give in to another shot from Rodri, exquisite in his change of leg and sharp in his low shot with his left foot to relieve the urgency of the ‘Roja’ just before the necessary break.
EARLY GOAL AND THE EXTREMES APPEAR
De la Fuente did not touch anything for the second 45 minutes and Spain’s start was positive, despite the fact that they had a big scare in another loss in the rival area that almost ended with a goal from Kvaravatskhelia, who tried to surprise Unai Simón with a shot from his own field.
The response came from Lamine Yamal, who burst in strongly at the start of the second half, first with a beautiful diagonal that ended in a foul on the edge of the area that allowed Mamardashvili to shine again after the Blaugrana winger’s shot. Immediately afterwards, the ball came to him again and he drew a beautiful cross with his left foot from the corner of the area for Fabián to head in with pleasure to make it 2-1.
The goal was a welcome development for the three-time European champions, who settled better on the pitch with Dani Olmo replacing Pedri. Georgia, despite the disadvantage, did not take a step forward and the match continued to be dominated by ‘La Roja’, who were now more precise and could have sealed the win if Yamal had been accurate after a Georgian turnover.
Alejandro Grimaldo, for Cucurella, and Mikel Oyarzabal, for an ill-advised Morata, were the next changes by De la Fuente, while Tsitaishvili sent out a warning to avoid any slackness. These began to appear when Nico Williams made it 3-1 the first time Georgia was out of position and began to show signs of surrender. Yamal did not find the reward for its great second half and it was Olmo who sealed a rout that opens the door to the real ‘minefield’ towards the final.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SPAIN, 4 – GEORGIA, 1 (1-1, at halftime).
–LINEUPS.
SPAIN: Unai Simón; Carvajal (Navas, min.81), Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella (Grimaldo, min.66); Rodri, Fabián (Merino, min.81); Yamal, Pedri (Olmo, min.52), Williams; y Morata (Oyarzabal, min.67).
GEORGIA: Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Dvali, Kashia, Gveliesani (Kvekveskiri, min.79), Lochoshvili (Tsitaishvili, min.63); Kochorashvili, Kiteishvili (Altunashvili, min.41); Chakvetadze (Davitavishli, min.63), Mikautadze (Zivzivatdze, min.79) y Kvaratskhelia.
–GOALS.
0-1, minute 18. Le Normand own goal.
1-1, minute 39. Rodri.
2-1, minute 51. Fabián.
3-1, minute 75. Nico Williams.
4-1, minute 84. Dani Olmo.
–REFEREE: François Letexier (FRA). He cautioned Morata (min.44), for Spain, and Davitashvili (min.71), for Georgia.
–STADIUM: RheinEnergie Cologne.
2024-06-30 21:00:32
#Spain #asks #appointment #host
