Spain has clinched a chance to defend its UEFA Nations League championship, securing a spot in the quarterfinals with a nail-biting 2-1 victory away over Denmark in Group 4. Sounds snazzy, right? Let’s dive into the juicy details!
Mikel Oyarzabal kicked things off in the 15th minute, displaying some fancy footwork. After a dazzling play, he received a smooth pass from Ayoze Perez, allowing him to slot the ball home with his right foot. Quick as a cat, eh?
Perez was on a roll! Earlier in the match, he rattled the crossbar and wasn’t done causing headaches for Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel. By the 28th minute, he forced a jaw-dropping save from Schmeichel, showcasing his ever-present threat.
With Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino orchestrating the midfield like maestros, Spain controlled the tempo. In the 39th minute, Oyarzabal found Dani Olmo with a delightful cross, setting up an opportunity that Schmeichel had to stretch to keep from the net.
Just when it felt like Spain would glide to victory, Denmark nearly pulled level. Albert Gronbaek fired a shot following Aymeric Laporte’s clumsy clearance, redirecting the ball for a corner. Close shave? You bet!
Perez’s perseverance paid dividends in the 58th minute. Latching onto a sublime delivery from Olmo, he powered in a left-footed beauty across Schmeichel. It marked his second goal in four showdowns. Talk about seizing the moment!
With a quarterfinal berth practically secured, Spain’s gaffer, Luis de la Fuente, decided to unleash young gun Marc Casado from Barcelona. Gotta give the newbies a chance to shine, right?
After Zubimendi left the field injured, Denmark’s Gustav Isaksen hit the inside of the post. As luck would have it, Fabian Ruiz’s blunder presented him with a scoring gift. Ruiz’s careless back-pass laid bare the path for Isaksen who capitalized by deflecting the ball off the goalie into the net. A stroke of fortune for the Danes!
With every Spaniard holding their breath, Raya, the shaken goalie, earned his stripes back. In an acrobatic act, he thwarted Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the nick of time. Phew!
Meanwhile, across the group, Serbia and Switzerland ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Over in Group 1, Portugal was on a winning spree! Rafael Leao and Cristiano Ronaldo showcased their wizardry, leading the charge in a crushing 5-1 triumph over Poland. With Robert Lewandowski absent, the poles felt his void.
Bruno Fernandes and Pedro Neto also got their names on the scoresheet, while Ronaldo doubled his tally, ensuring Portugal topped the group. In another battle, Scotland scraped a 1-0 win against Croatia, thanks to John McGinn’s late heroics in the 86th minute.
Friday’s frenzy didn’t stop there. Northern Ireland toppled Belarus 2-0, courtesy of goals from Daniel Ballard and Dion Charles. Meanwhile, Andrian Kraev secured Bulgaria’s slim 1-0 win in Luxembourg. San Marino and Gibraltar saw a 1-1 deadlock, and Cyprus bested Lithuania 2-1, with Grigoris Kastanos and Marinos Tzionis scoring. So much action packed into one day!
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
