MADRID, 7 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The teams of Spain and the Netherlands will face each other this Friday in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, a balanced duel and where the figures of two midfielders who meet again more than two months later and who are shining with its own light in this tournament.
Aitana Bonmatí and Jill Roord are fundamental in the framework of Jorge Vilda and Adries Jonker, and their performance at the Sky Stadium in Wellington will be key to the options of both teams. Both players, belonging to the same generation, know each other well and have met several times in recent years, at club level, and now they will take this ‘rivalry’ to the international scene.
Just over two months ago, the 25-year-old from Sant Pere de Ribes and the 26-year-old from Oldenzaal were starters in the Champions League final on June 3 in Eindhoven (Netherlands) with FC Barcelona and Wolfsburg. Roord touched the continental title at times when his team dominated 0-2 at halftime, but the glory went to Bonmatí.
The Catalan was crowned with her second Champions League after the one in 2021 against English Chelsea, where she was also chosen ‘MVP’ of the final, and was confirmed as one of the best soccer players currently on the Old Continent and a possible candidate for the Ballon d’Or , a dream that goes through the best possible performance in this World Cup.
A year earlier, the Blaugrana team and the German had seen each other in the semifinals of the top continental competition, again with joy for the first, who solved the tie in a record-breaking Camp Nou with a devastating 5-1 and Aitana Bonmatí opening the party. Roord scored on the second leg (2-0) with a great shot, one of his qualities.
AITANA, ‘TODOTERRENO’, ROORD, TONED WITH THE GOAL IN THIS WORLD CUP
Now, with an equally succulent prize like staying two games away from being world champions, they will see faces willing to show why they are being key in this World Cup. According to ‘Driblab’ statistics, the Spanish international, who plays more as an inside midfielder and who steps in the area a lot, has scored three goals and given two assists, also creating eight chances and finishing off 15 times, good proof of her impact offensive.
In addition, the Catalan has had an 88 percent passing rate, with 226 completed, has won 15 duels and has recovered 31 balls. Her best match was the last one, in the round of 16, where she was unstoppable for Switzerland, where she left details of her quality and her affinity for goal, taking revenge for her poor match against Japan.
However, they will have a midfielder in front, more of a midfielder profile, but who will reach these quarterfinals with four goals to his credit, although with no assists. The new Manchester City player, who played for FC Barcelona, has also been successful in completed passes (191) and pass accuracy (88 percent), while she has executed 18 shots, with 22 percent accuracy, has won 29 duels and has recovered 22 balls, in addition to completing eight dribbles.
The Dutch will seek her particular ‘revenge’ against Aitana Bonmatí, chosen the best player in the last Champions League and who was part of the ideal eleven. At the Philips Stadion, the player from Sant Pere de Ribes, who played almost the entire game (was substituted in 90 for Alexia Putellas) was decisive with four shots, four chances created, an assist for Patri Guijarro’s 2-2, nine recoveries and seven duels won. On the other hand, Roord, who played 71 minutes, did not shine as much, with only one chance generated, four shots, only two recoveries and five games won.