Spain stamps its ticket for the European Under-21
The team beat Slovakia 2-3 with goals from Bryan Gil, Sergio Gómez and debutant Robert Navarro
MADRID, 29 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Under-21 team repeated a 2-3 victory this Tuesday against Slovakia thanks to a solid game and goals from Bryan Gil, Sergio Gómez and the debutant Robert Navarro, a victory that allows the ‘Rojita’ to seal their ticket for the European Georgia and Romania 2023, after the dispute of the eighth day of the qualifying phase.
After their feast in Talavera de la Reina against Lithuania (8-0), Spain thus culminates its objective as leader of Group C, with seven wins and only one defeat, against Russia, eliminated from the competition due to the invasion of Ukraine. Now they will be able to calmly and without pressure face the last two commitments of this phase against Northern Ireland and Malta next June.
Luis de la Fuente’s men, warned of the problems that Slovakia gave them in La Cartuja (3-2), started the game plugged in and connected several offensive plays that translated into danger on Belko’s goal. And that initial superiority materialized in the 0-1 in the 4th minute of the game, an early goal that seemed to put the goal of the ‘red’ on the right track. He was able to sentence the Betic Rodri, but his shot crashed into the crossbar.
Although the goal neutralized the impetus of the locals at the start of the duel, little by little the Slovaks increased the intensity of the game, with more fouls and increasing the pressure. And that improvement got its reward with the 1-1 that came after a penalty committed by Pacheco that Bernát converted. From then on, Slovakia grew, boosted by the euphoria of the goal and the field factor in favor to close the first half with a couple of dangerous chances that made Joan García work.
De la Fuente brought on Turrientes and Manu Sánchez after the break to the detriment of Nico and Miranda, putting fresh legs into the game. And it seems that the changes sat well with Spain, who forgot the ghosts of the minutes before the break to grow and neutralize the Slovak pressure.
Sergio Gómez, author of a double in the feast against Lithuania, converted the goal from a free kick that made it 1-2 and gave Spain security and peace of mind. The national team saw the objective confirmed with a great goal from debutant Robert Navarro after a good play between Gómez and Abel Ruiz to establish the 1-3 in the 80th minute.
What was presumed as a pleasant ending turned out to be a suffering until the last minute. Already in the addition, Nebyla made it 2-3 that allowed the locals to believe in the tie, intending to ruin the visitor’s aspirations. But those of Luis de la Fuente knew how to endure to materialize his presence in the European Championship.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SLOVAKIA, 2 – SPAIN, 3 (1-1, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS.
SLOVAKIA: Belko; Ilko (Galcik, min.62), Nemcik, Obert, Vojtko, Sula; Bernat (Kadák, min. 74), Svidersky (No, min. 81), Lichy; Kapralik (Slebodnik, min.82), Trusa (Bobcek, min.62).
SPAIN: Joan Garcia; Víctor Gómez, Francés (Chust, min.5), Pacheco, Miranda (Manu Sánchez, min.46); Blanco, Rodri (Navarro, min.70), Nico González (Turrientes, min.46); Sergio Gómez, Bryan Gil (Riquelme, min. 82) and Abel Ruiz.
–GOALS:
0-1, minuto 4. Bryan Gil.
1-1, minute 38. Bernát, de penalti.
1-2, minute 66. Sergio Gómez.
1-3, minute 81. Robert Navarro.
2-3, minute 91. She wasn’t.
–REFEREE: Christopher Jaeger Hyytiá (AUT). He admonished Trusa (min.15), Svidersky (min.61) and Bernát (min.67), for Slovakia; and to Bryan Gil (min.41) and Miranda (min.41), for Spain.
–STADIUM: MSK Zilina.