Spain hit the wall Serbia at its beginnings in the League of Nations with the cockade of European Champions. The selection of Luis de la Fuente She was held back in the first half but had plenty of chances to win the duel after the break. The goal Rajkovicformer of Majorcawas the Serbian hero and He took out a pair of prodigious hands This prevented the Spanish triumph.
It seems like yesterday, when we were bouncing around La Cibeles to the rhythm of the Wild filly to celebrate the European Cup and it’s there, it’s already happened, the League of Nations (this phrase so sung to the sound of Paw Patrol It’s more fun). Well nothing. The Spain of Luis de la Fuenteat the show. We were opening a competition in which we are also defending the title, against none other than Serbia In Belgradeonce a formidable place when yugoslavia was yugoslavia. Let them ask the leader of Juanito.
But from there Yugoslavia There are only memories left and this Serbia, at least in football terms, is little. But a champion always owes respect to the crown he holds and defends. Luis de la Fuente has withdrawn his Praetorian Guard which almost lacked its spine. Unai Simón, Rodri, Merino and Morata were not in Spainfour of the undisputed hard cores that brought us to the glory of European Cup In Germany.
SO From the source organized an alignment with David Raya as a goalkeeper and starting defender in the European Cup: Carvajal, The Norman, Laporte And Cucurelle. The midfield was shared between Fabián and Zubimendi, both runners, while the line of three midfielders was made up of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Nico Williams. Above, the only surprise: Ayoze played in place of the expected Oyarzabal, scorer and hero of the final against England.
to face a Serbia in full reconstruction, almost in series B, without some of its best footballers like Vlahovic And Milinkovic-Savic. Let’s take as an example that Luka Jovicthis package that soiled the team’s jersey for a few seasons the real Madridwas a regular in the national team Stojkovic. I insist, little.
Send Spain
Domino Spain go out with this neon colored t-shirt. In 4 minutes, the Serbs had already received a yellow card. It was for Erakovicwho scratched the ankle of Daniel Olmo when the Spanish playmaker had his back turned. A minute later, our first chance came in a cross Carvajal that Dani Olmo himself didn’t get his head because of a shrimp’s moustache. He responded quickly. Serbia with a counter that caught us in the wrong position and that Ilic closed with an erroneous shot that violated the airspace of Belgrade.
The occasion was the prelude to a few minutes in which Spain He was dozing like a senator in plenary session. Serbia He stood up and easily reached the area of David Raya. The 12th was Jovic the fact that he threw his huge ass back before hitting the ball and therefore shooting high. So all, Luka. Luis de la Fuente became desperate because his players didn’t understand the brown, intense, kiwi-skinned game he had proposed Serbia.
It was composed Spaina kind of split with the front four too lazy to retreat when we lost the ball. Some crosses from the area and the presence of Cucurelle And Carvajal wide open was the best news for De la Fuente. It took 18 minutes for the Nico-Lamine connection to appear with a filtered pass on the athletic side that the Barça team was forced to reach.
Spain had gone from domination to siege. I finally suffered Serbiawho could do nothing but empty the water. And pray. The team started to deserve and work for the goal because the goal, like the land, belongs to the one who works for it. It was only a matter of time (and goal) before La Roja scored. First Lamine, then Nico had chances that proved the Spanish dominance.
broken match
We tried long-range shots that didn’t hit Rajkovic’s goal, but it was the only way to break through the very congested defence. Serbia. On the 31st Lamine and Dani Olmo connectedthat attended Ayoze in heels. His sharp, bouncing shot was firmly cleared by the former Mallorca goalkeeper. Spain were around the goal. Residents have entrusted their options to the resistance, like Pedro Sánchezand Spain’s mistakes in withdrawing from counterattacks.
A clear example is what happened in 33The entire Spanish defense has become unbalanced. Zivkovicwho saw alone Jovic in the region. Carvajalconfused, broke the offside, so the attacker of the Milan He was left alone at the penalty spot against David Raya. It was a textbook goal but Jovic An incomprehensible clearance was missed to throw the ball away and waste one of the clearest chances of his life.
I was breathing Luis de la Fuente in view of the opportunity he had wasted Serbia. The bad news is that Spain He received three yellow cards and six fouls: Ayozé, Carvajal And Lamine Yamal. Well, and the result, we did not finish opening the box. And so, with the score 0-0 at the Little Maracaná, we went to halftime.
From where we return unchanged in Spain. Serbia She went out happy and our people came back, too confused. Carvajal almost volleyed in the penalty area a free kick taken with malice and subtlety by Lamine Yamal in the 50th minute Luis de la Fuente prepares his first two changes: Oyarzabal of Ayoze and Grimaldo of Cucurella. He made them at the same time in 1956, just before. Fabien He had made it 0-1 in his boots with a volley inside the area that went over the roof.
Changes in Spain
Serbia continues to threaten contras. In one of them he saw the Yellow Norman, who has a natural tendency to cling. But The party already came from Spain. Problem: too many lateral crosses and no attackers to direct them. Joselu was desperate on the bench. Luis de la Fuente thinks about it. Not so much the Serbs, who toughened up the game even though the yellows were taken by our team.
Rajkovic saved Grimaldo’s free-kick in the 70th minute. with a stop in which he flew from stick to stick. Neither Lamine Yamal He was unable to cope with either of the two refusals that fell on him. Once again, the Serbian goalkeeper had a superb hand on a shot from Lamine who scored. Then, Fabián had problems in the box and wasted a great opportunity. Spain’s goal was close to a candy.
Luis de la Fuente replaced Fabián with Pedri in 75. The match was futsal and was played in the Serbian area. It seemed unthinkable that the Spanish goal would not come. In 1981, almost out of desperation, they entered Ferran Torres for Nico and Joselu for Dani OlmoIt was just before a corner that the former Real Madrid player directed his first intervention in the match.
came later a catch for Joselu in the box which led to De la Fuente receiving a yellow card for protesting. They didn’t even tell us again just in case. We were running out of time because it was already 85 and we still couldn’t find a way to score a goal against the overloaded Serbian defense. The Spanish bench was desperate. During extra time we tried civil and criminal, but the goal made us the cobra and Spain had to settle for a draw against Serbia on their return to the competition after winning the European Cup. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of Nations League left.
