The Spanish team easily beat Cyprus in Limassol in a match with nine changes compared to the team that won in Oslo a month ago and certified the ticket for next year’s Euro Cup in Germany. It was an afternoon for experiments against a Cyprus that had not won any points in the group, but is in the memory of Spanish football because the defeat in Larnaca in 1998 (3-2) cost Javier Clemente, perhaps the coach, his job. most controversial in the history of the red.
What happened then and what happened yesterday was like night and day. Spain played well in the first half and with 0-3 in favor, they let themselves go in the second, which was very boring and inconsequential. Cyprus presented itself with a line of five defenders, barely crossed the center of the field and was behind on the scoreboard from the fourth minute. It had been a long time since Spain had played against a team so weak that they limited themselves to protecting their goalkeeper and avoiding a historic beating. Two months ago, Spain had already beaten him (6-0) in Granada.
Luis de la Fuete’s obsession is to form more of a team than a selection. The man from La Rioja assures that the block is already defined and that is why it is difficult for him to see a team without players like Unai Simón, Carvajal, Rodri, Dani Olmo or Morata. Without counting some who were not in the call like Pedri or Asensio. Of all of them, Rodri did not sit on the bench because he was one of the two whom De La Fuente removed from the list, in this case to give him a rest; The other was Gayà, but the Valencian because he was having discomfort.
Against a team as modest as Cyprus, the afternoon was ideal to see the debutant Grimaldo, one of the fittest full-backs in Europe, in action. It was also the first time that Zubimendi, Rodri’s replacement, came out as a starter, for whom he had to spend the entire game in the red, as well as check how Lamine Yamal, of whom so much is expected, performed. It was a good match by all, but not particularly brilliant.
With qualification in their pocket, Spain was looking for a victory to maintain first place and add the maximum possible points to be seeded in the draw on December 2. With Scotland’s draw in Georgia (2-2), Spain needs a point to secure first place and if it wins in Valladolid on Sunday the three points ensure it is one of the six seeded teams and be in pot 1.
The match was already decided for Spain in the fourth minute. Gavi opened for Merino and he found Yamal at the far post. The 16-year-old young talent brought out his quality. With one movement he cut the goalkeeper, he left a defender who was running and scored. His second goal with the red.
Cyprus already knew what awaited them and the second goal fell in the 23rd minute after several scares in their goal. Oyarzabal took advantage of a good pass from Grimaldo and the VAR validated the goal. Moments later a shot from Zubimendi hit the post. The third was immediate (28) and was the work of Joselu, a shot in the small area that no one defended. The first half ended with bad news, Oyarzabal’s muscle injury, replaced by Riquelme.
The second began with two changes, also debutant Aleix García, the captain of Girona, for Merino, and center back David García for Le Normand.
The large advantage and the changes reduced the intensity of the Spanish game, which lost fluidity and verticality. With the game much more complicated in the center of the field, the chances no longer came. Gavi had the first in a good run that he couldn’t finish with a shot because they took the ball away from him. The match heated up with a very hard kick from Karo on Riquelme that could have injured the Atlético player in an action that resulted in a yellow that could have been red.
Ferran came on for Yamal and in one against Pileas he made it 1-3 in the 75th minute in a play reviewed by the VAR due to a previous foul on Gavi. There wasn’t much more. Spain complied without shining.
