Spain’s ‘plan B’ did not go well, with ten changes in Santi Denia’s starting eleven, and had to resort to two starters, Rodri Sánchez and Abel Ruiz, assistant and scorer, respectively, in the 90th minute, to achieve a draw against Ukraine (2-2) that gave them first place in Group B of the European under-21.
With massive turnovers in both starting teams, despite the importance they attached to first place and thinking more about the rest of their players ahead of the quarterfinals this weekend, the game had no hint of being a European sub-21.
Very low pace, from Ukraine in possession, which clearly dominated in the first half, and from Spain in pressure. A relaxation that was about to cost the Ukrainian team dearly.
Two errors in the delivery of the central defender Volodymyr Saliuk led to a one-on-one by Sergio Camello, in the 6th and 28th minute, but in both the Atlético de Madrid footballer entertained himself when defining and erred against a Ruslan Neshcheret who was within about to be a protagonist.
The Dynamo Kiev goalkeeper, who surprised in 2020 by signing a great game, when he was the third goalkeeper of the Ukrainian team, at the Camp Nou at just 18 years old, lost the ball in a kick and caused a goal from Rodrigo Riquelme in the 20th minute , but it was annulled due to a previous contact by Sergio Camello on the goal which, in the referee’s opinion, caused the loss.
Spain wasted these gifts, but Ukraine, to the second, no. goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala’s mistake in the pass in the 8th minute caused the first chance for the Ukrainian team, which did not waste the next one.
A mistake in getting the ball out caught the Spanish defense off balance, with Oleksadr Nazarenko winning the race from Manu Sánchez and serving a perfect ball for a header from Bogdan Viunnyk that made it 0-1 in the 43rd minute.
The match continued with the same dynamic of errors at the start of a second half in which Santi Denia changed goalkeepers so that all those called up had minutes.
And in that becoming more friendly than European, an own goal was missing after a rebound. So it was. Minute 49, wall between Aimar Oroz and Rodrigo Riquelme, who served a back pass that Ivan Zhelizko put into his goal after the ball bounced off his teammate Oleksandr Syrota’s clearance.
The game script changed, with Spain dominating the ball, but speculating with it and without good chances to turn the score around. Until another serious mistake came that put Ukraine ahead again.
Long ball before which Hugo Guillamón and the goalkeeper Leo Román trust, Danylo Sikan gets ahead of them and Román ends up scoring a clear penalty that Georgiy Sudakov converted in the 81st minute and which gave Ukraine first place.
However, Spain resorted to the magic of Rodri Sánchez and the experience of Abel Ruiz, two regular starters who came on from the bench, to equalize the match again in the 90th minute and achieve a tie that classifies them as first in Group B.
A result that, beyond the possible rival, still to be defined between France, Italy, Switzerland and Norway, allows Santi Denia’s team not to have to travel to the quarterfinals.
