Spain de-dramatizes the ticket in Athens
A draw will be enough against Sweden to secure the World Cup in Qatar
MADRID, 11 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish soccer team got their ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup on track after beating Greece (0-1) thanks to Pablo Sarabia’s solitary goal from the penalty spot, and Sweden’s previous defeat on his visit to Georgia ( 2-0), a score that gives license to Spain to be the leader of group B.
Luis Enrique Martínez’s team had it very difficult at six in the afternoon, but two hours later – without even having started his game – the company was no longer so difficult. The stumble of the Swedes removed the category of ‘feat’ from qualifying for Qatar. It was just about winning the last day.
Now, after the victory at the Spyros Louis, the triple European champion will only need a draw to certify her World Cup presence. For this, on Sunday at La Cartuja the tension will not be such, and even losing, Spain would be guaranteed the option of playing a play-off that they already played in 2005 before the World Cup in Germany.
However, the horizon has become clear for ‘La Roja’ who was the clear dominator of the match although her game was not brilliant as in recent times. In the first half, Spain was slow to appear at the opposite goal, at least with danger, and did suffer some against the Hellenes in Masouras boots. A goal by the Olympiacos forward was disallowed for offside in the 20th minute.
The Spanish team reacted and soon confirmed their superiority on occasions. The first was a shot at the turn of the rookie Raúl de Tomás. A few minutes later Morata erred, who did not have his day, and before reaching the halfway point of the first half, the only goal of the match appeared after a penalty that did not offer any doubts to the referee.
A lot of legs in the area prevented Íñigo Martínez from finishing with clarity and he even ended up falling to the grass before the shot. The referee did not hesitate and Sarabia, who took the ball with determination, beat Vlachodimos without problems. The Sporting player relieved Sergio Ramos as the last Spanish shooter from a penalty in regulation time.
Ten minutes later, Spain missed the clearest opportunity of the match in a heads-up from Morata. The Juventus striker did the most difficult, got rid of a powerful rival, stepped on the area, but was unable to score when he had everything in his favor. This is how the break was reached, with part of the work done but with the fear generated by a meager difference on the scoreboard.
Gavi, another of the highlights, was the protagonist at the beginning of the second half with a slight shock that earned him the change. In his place entered a Busquets that had been reserved – for being warned of sanction – and ‘the Red’ monopolized more possession in the wide zone. Rodrigo, from Leeds, was in charge of knocking on the door of the Greeks.
But nothing changed that blessed marker for Spain, which was still far from the level it offered in the last League of Nations against France and Italy. Spain won, but little more, and left their work done to finish it off this Sunday. It is the fourth victory for Spain in Greek territory after five visits in history. The national team already has the World Cup in sight.
DATASHEET.
– RESULT: GREECE, 0 – SPAIN, 1 (0-1, at halftime).
–ALIGNMENTS.
GREECE: Vlachodimos, Androutsos, Tzavellas, Goutas, Tsimikas, Giannoulis (Limnios, min.67); Siopis, Bouchalakis (Pelkas, min.78), Siopis; Masouras (Tzolis, min.46) and Pavlidis (Douvikas, min.46).
SPAIN: Unai Simón; Carvajal, Íñigo Martínez (Azpilicueta, min.89), Laporte, Gayà; Koke, Rodri, Gavi (Busquets, min.65); Sarabia (Olmo, min.57), Morata (Fornals, min.65) and Raúl de Tomás (Rodrigo, min.57).
–GOAL:
0-1, min.25, Sarabia, from a penalty.
– REFEREE: Szymon Marciniak (POL). He cautioned Siopsis (min.33), Tsimikas (min.55), Goutas (min.59) and Tzavellas (min.93) in Greece with a yellow card; and to Sarabia (min.48) and Carvajal (min.79) in Spain.
–STADIO: Spyros Louis.