Image Courtesy: InsideSport
Spain’s new team struggled with the same issues on Monday, as Sweden held on for a goalless draw in their Euro 2020 opening in Seville thanks to several wasted chances.
Alvaro Morata squandered the best chance of a dominant first half in which Spain made 419 passes in the first 45 minutes of a European Championship match, the most of any team ever on record.
When Morata was substituted with 25 minutes remaining, his fans booed him, and Luis Enrique is now being questioned over his choice to leave out Gerard Moreno, the Villarreal striker who scored 23 goals last season. After Slovakia’s shock 2-1 victory over Poland earlier in the day, a goalless draw leaves Spain playing catch-up in Group E, boosting the stakes for the encounter between Spain and Poland on Saturday when the loser would be left scrambling to qualify.
Another failure to convert possession into opportunities echoed Spain’s recent setbacks, most notably when they were frustrated by Russia at the 2018 World Cup before losing on penalties. Meanwhile, Sweden coach Janne Andersson stated his players would “run like hell” on Sunday, and they not only defended doggedly but also created perhaps the game’s two finest chances.
Isak, a 21-year-old striker who scored 17 goals for Real Sociedad last season, demonstrated why he is regarded as one of Europe’s best young strikers, and Spain would have been relieved when Andersson took him out with 20 minutes remaining.
After Bilbao failed to meet UEFA’s required number of people, the Spanish host city was shifted to Seville, and with 12,517 fans inside La Cartuja, the atmosphere was as hot as the weather, with temperatures reaching over 30 degrees Celsius. Spain will play Poland on Saturday and Slovakia on June 23. Sweden, which hasn’t progressed past the group round of the European Championship since 2004, will meet Slovakia in St. Petersburg on Friday.