If the match in Geneva was to serve to clear up the doubts that had generated the two initial draws in this Nations League, the effort was in vain despite the victory. Spain finally added three points by beating Switzerland and got into the fight to repeat their presence in the final four but also made it clear that this last break of the course is not sitting well with them. So far away but so close, the World Cup in Qatar will require a much improved version of Spain.
From the initial whistle, a somewhat stuck game was drawn but full of details. The red is a kind of black beast for the Swiss, who have only signed a win in 24 matches. Blessed defeat for that for Spain, because it was the one that started the most beautiful adventure ever undertaken and that ended in South Africa with a goal from Iniesta for eternity. Switzerland’s victory number two did not come in Geneva basically because Murat Yakin’s team does not seem to be enough for great deeds at the moment, and even less so against a superior and needy rival such as Luis Enrique’s team.
The Asturian coach repeated with Unai Simón, Gavi and Sarabia in the eleven for the third consecutive duel and the three ended up returning that confidence to the coach. And that it cost Spain a world to link plays against a rocky and locked rival. But Luis Enrique’s pupils occupied the book spaces and showed offensive ambition in the pressure, there was little to reproach them.
Marcos Llorente’s careers marked the Spanish path from the beginning, the rojiblanco footballer returned to the interior, parked for the moment his gray role as a lateral. Llorente was clearly the main Spanish threat, always looking for a wall and space behind the Swiss defence. So, how could it be otherwise, the first goal was born from his boots, which came before a quarter of an hour of play, clearly earlier than expected. The pressure of Ferran Torres ended with the ball at the feet of Llorente, who already inside the area saw Sarabia unmark and put the goal on a plate. Of course, the position of the PSG player was so fair that the malevolent VAR machines took more than two minutes to confirm the goal on the scoreboard.
The goal gave peace to the needy Spain but it did not bring more clarity to their game, which was still hampered by the rudeness of Switzerland, who had not lost at home for 8 years. Morata didn’t look at the goal because he basically became an invaluable help when it came to getting the ball out, always receiving from behind and always ending up on the ground after Akanji’s fouls.
Although they had the game under control, Spain was no stranger to Switzerland’s weapons, capable in their last confrontation, in the last European Championship, of taking it to the limit and falling only in the agonizing penalties that were experienced in Saint Petersburg. The Swiss threat only came from set pieces but it was enough to scare Simón, as with Embolo and Comert’s headers, both off target.
Going through the locker room felt great for Switzerland, who took a step forward and began to really worry Unai Simón, who had to catch his first ball after a long shot from Shaqiri. The Swiss ambition also implied that more spaces were generated behind their backs and Spain tried to exploit them but they lacked refinement in the definition. But the local bubbles faded little by little and the game entered no man’s land, something tedious, a scenario that the Spanish dealt with without apparent stress.
Switzerland ended up trying a little desperately, without many ideas and with less ability to overflow in their footballers, and nerves became their best ally. An exit without rhyme or reason by Unai Simón outside the area tested the Spanish hearts but everything ended in a scare and the duel languished as it had begun, with emotion but little football. That yes, the triumph got into the suitcase of Spain.
0 – Suiza: Sommer; Widmer, Akanji (Frei, m.80), Cömert, Rodriguez (Sow, m.88); Xhaka, Aesbischer (Okafor, m.64); Freuler, Shaqiri (Seferovic, m.80), Zuber (Seteffen, m.64); y Embolo.
1 – Spain: Unai Simon; Azpilicueta, Diego Llorente, Pau Torres, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Marcos Llorente (Soler, m.80), Gavi (Koke, m.73); Ferran Torres, Sarabia (Dani Olmo, m.62) and Morata (Marco Asensio, m.73).
Goals: 0-1, m.13: Sarabia.
Referee: Serdar Gozubuyuk (Netherlands). He chastised Shaqiri (59), Akanji (65), Seferovic (89) and Sow (91) for Switzerland.
Incidents: match corresponding to the third day of the League of Nations, played at the Stade Geneva before 25,875 spectators.
