Ukraine 1-Spain 0 | Spain shoots into the air

Spain does not have a goal, that has always been our cross, and solving it seems to cost as much as changing the country's productive model. Tourism is our muscle and the tiqui-taca too, so there is no other choice but to keep looking for how to solve those games in which the rival closes and the ball chokes you. Against Ukraine it happened again. Not even the combination of Adama Traoré and Ansu Fati in the starting team served to find the goal. Not even with those wings we could fly on a night that ended in defeat and that could be worse if Germany had not stumbled against Switzerland at the same time.

On the eve of the match against Switzerland, Luis Enrique was asked if Ansu and Adama could coincide on the pitch. “Of course they can play together, like everyone in this team, the problem is that they can only play eleven. There are no incompatible players, they can play together “, explained the coach. It was a matter of time before both players, probably the foam that has risen the most in the National Team so far in the Nations League, shared an attack. Yesterday they did it from the beginning with Rodrigo as the common thread, that nine that is not exactly a nine but a striker who offers his best by falling to the band, looking for spaces. The experiment worked at the earliest. In his first ball, Adama did not hesitate to face Sobol, who was forced to grab. Lack of book. It seemed like a long night was coming for the left side of Brujas, as it happened.

But La Roja did not change only in his wings. The team offered only one change in the defensive zone compared to the game played in Valdebebas against Switzerland (Reguilón by Gayà), but four from the center of the field upwards (Rodri, Canales, Adama and Rodrigo). Spain was the only one that touched the ball in the first two minutes without Ukraine pressing up, with the sole intention of closing spaces behind. It was the tactic to which Shevchenko's pupils subscribed, forced to align an eleven of circumstances before the plague of casualties. It was difficult for the National Team to open the can and it was not until minute 11 that it had its first opportunity in a header from Rodrigo that Bushchan cleared well to corner. It was celebrated in a big way by the fans, surely fearful of the performance of the goalkeeper, who had just conceded nine goals in the last two games, against France (7-1) and Germany (1-2).

Bushchan relieved the starter Pyatov, the veteran Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper, and while the other major absence for the Ukrainian team was Malinovsky (sanctioned for accumulation of cards), whose importance was in charge of making the statistical corner very clear: until yesterday he led the scoring chapter, that of assists or that of fouls received in his selection in the three games played in the Nations League. Almost nothing. De Gea was just another spectator, while Merino, who seems to have earned Luis Enrique's confidence as an insider, acted as Rodri's best partner. Up above, Adama and Ansu were trying to take advantage of their speed on the wings, but it cost one more than the other. The one of the Wolverhampton did not doubt in going towards the rival defender, in widening the field as much as possible, while the Barcelona preferred to fall to interior lands. What did surprise him is being the one chosen to take the corners or fouls. In each play of strategy the boot that armed everything was Ansu's. Kroos style.

Sergio Ramos asked for tranquility in the elaboration of the game, aware of the closedness of the Ukrainian defense. The one from Beds started again, as no one will say, and with that he reached 175 caps, which leaves him one match with Buffon's record as the European footballer who has defended the colors of his team the most times. Ramos and Navas enjoyed a special night as they returned to the pitch where they were so happy in 2012 when they won the Eurocup with that 4-0 to Italy to frame. Busquets, the other hero of that championship who is still in the National Team, had to watch from the bench what would have been his 120th game with La Roja.

Ukraine did not worry except with a long ball in which Yaremchuk ran but De Gea resolved by anticipating and leaving the area to abort the danger. Meanwhile, Spanish opportunities came by dropper, as when Rodrigo yielded to Canales, whose shot found no target. Just a sigh later came the most controversial play of the game, in which Zubkov fell to the ground after a dispute with Navas. There is no VAR, in the Nations League there is not, but the repetitions seem to show a touch of the Sevilla winger. It was then when it became more evident that the game was played with an audience, some 15,000 attended the Olympic in Kiev. Even that boo from the stands tasted like glory to us. It's the closest thing to real football in recent times.

Shevchenko he left satisfied at halftime, the tactic paid off and the scoreboard did not move. Luis Enrique, however, reacted immediately. Ceballos supplied Merino, surely looking for something more elaboration in areas close to the rival area. But the initial effect was the opposite, because in those first ten minutes we saw the best version of Ukraine. So, at minute 57, double change to cure the cold: Ferran for Fati and Oyarzabal for Rodrigo, with the City winger with a changed leg, that is, on the left wing to leave Adama on the right, where he was working. The renewal took effect because Spain came up, with the best version of Rodrigo, who finished off the post, and Ferran, who created danger on the left. But just when the harassment was greater, the backhand came to the chin. Bushchan served long, Karavaev yielded to Yarmolenko, who passed into the gap and Tsigankov beat De Gea, who stayed midway. Jubilation in the stands, in that stand that returns to football, and shock for our internationals, who from then on saw them and wanted to score a goal. Even with Ramos as a center forward. The effort was useless. The goal gave us pumpkins again. Again our cross.