MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Under-21 team began its preparation for the European Championship of the category that will be played next year with good feelings and signed this Friday a comfortable 1-4 win against Romania, one of the hosts of the continental event.
Luis de la Fuente’s team took this friendly clash with the right attitude and controlled it practically without problems, led by a ‘veteran’ like Abel Ruiz and one of the new faces that are appearing, Rodrigo Riquelme, both authors of a double .
Spain knew how to impose its highest quality against the locals at all times and did not have too many complications, some more in the second 45 minutes when the changes and the result caused more spaces for the Romanians to threaten more.
Anyway, the ‘Rojita’, with an eleven with the debuts on the sides of Arnau Martínez (Girona) and Alejandro Balde (FC Barcelona) took control from the first minute and very soon opened the scoring. A cross from Sergio Gómez was effectively headed by Abel Ruiz into the net to make it 0-1 after seven minutes.
The goal did not relax the visitors nor did it manage to wake up Romania, overwhelmed by the greater quality of their rival, who minutes later reflected their superiority with the 0-2, also the work of the Sporting de Braga striker, who demonstrated his ability inside the area . Beñat Turrientes, with the locals still lost, was able to sentence the clash, but ran into the local goalkeeper.
The Romanian team stretched out and rushed towards the goal of Arnau Tenas, who had to intervene much more in the last quarter of an hour of the first act. A powerful shot from Birgilea was Romania’s best option to tighten the duel.
After the break, Luis de la Fuente began to make his first changes and put in a lot of quality with Riquelme and Alex Baena, which allowed the Spanish U-21 to continue giving a feeling of superiority and only Popa’s good performances in goal prevented the marker is enlarged.
The last three goals came in the final stretch of the match. The combination of Atlético youth players between Sergio Camello and Rodrigo Riquelme ended with the goal of the Girona player and Romania finally found some reward for their effort with Micules’ goal. But Spain wanted to settle their greater quality also in the final stages and Riquelme closed the win at the Cluj Arena.
“I am very happy, the behavior of the boys has been fantastic and with a great attitude. It was not an easy game because it was after a long time without being together, we had to resume the game and there were people who were making their debut, and it was quite complex. But they have given a very good performance, better in the first half because in the second the changes broke the rhythm a bit”, Luis de la Fuente said to the ‘sefutbol’ microphone after the game.