1X1 from Spain: outstanding Alba, Busquets and Dani Olmo …

This was the performance of the national team players against Italy:

Unai Simon: He started the game very imprecise with his feet. Then it was rebuilt and had interventions of merit and was very attentive. He started the shootout by stopping Italy’s first penalty, but then he couldn’t stop the rest.

Azpilicueta: A caste. His robbery of Insigne in the 20th minute prevented a goal. He pushed for his band in search of an equalizer when the Italians took the lead. He was replaced by Marcos Llorente in the 85th minute.

Eric Garcia: He gave rhythm to the game of Spain in the beginning and was measured in the duels with Insigne. He refolded well in transitions.

Laporte: He started something imprecise in the pass, but it was intoned and he was very expeditious to cut.

Sunrise: Pending Chiesa and pending to join the attack and give depth to the team. He commands the defense and always shows his hierarchy. In extra time it seemed that he had just come out and avoided an Italian counter with a providential cut.

Busquets: The Italians demanded the maximum and did not lose face to the game. He suffered in transitions, but he showed why he is still the best positional midfielder in the world. He pushed, ordered and commanded until the break of extra time.

Koke: His duel with Verratti was tough. I always try to give my teammates an exit, but the pressure of the Italians made him receive from behind. In the second half, he picked up the pitch and dominated the game until he was replaced by Rodri in the 69th minute.

Pedri: He was the third man in several plays to stand with his driving in the Italian area. He filtered passes and had verticality. The canary does not stop running, he continues the game of possession and grows every minute of every game.

Oyarzabal: He played right winger and complied with Luis Enrique’s movement orders. He came to attack with a goal option several times, but he was more imprecise than usual in controls and shots. In the second half he was at his level and he deserved the goal, but he did not arrive. He was replaced in the 69th minute by Gerard Moreno.

Dani Olmo: He moved with a false nine skill, knocking Bonucci and Chiellini out of his zone. He really wanted to score and tried continuously. He more than fulfilled the mission entrusted by Luis Enrique and marked a great game of waste, overflow, commitment and knowing how to play football. He shot his penalty very hard and it went up, the first of the team’s batch.

Ferran: He gave amplitude to the team and put pressure on the Italians’ departure. I made good diagonals and looked for the goal. He was replaced in the 61st minute by Morata.

Substitutions

Morata: He entered in the 61st minute for Ferran. He started from the left wing and when he got in the middle he made the goal of the tie in which he showed power, speed and definition. He took the fourth penalty of the Spanish shootout and was stopped by Donnarumma

Rodri: He left for Koke in the 69th minute. It was Rodri from City. He played indoors and pushed the team with his physique, his enormous quality and his tremendous personality.

Gerard Moreno: He replaced Oyarzabal in the 69th minute. He teamed up, looked for the shot and got second striker with Morata looking for the winning goal to avoid extra time. I mark his penalty, the second from Spain, in the shootout.

Marcos Llorente: He came in for Azpilicueta in the 85th minute. He put his vigor and strength at the service of the team to make powerful withdrawals and deployments.

Thiago: He entered the rest of the extension by Busquets. He tried to push for the second goal, but he did not have finesse in the last pass that he usually handles so well. He scored and cheated Donnarumma on his penalty, Spain’s third in the shootout

Pau Torres: He came out for Eric in the 109th minute. He was quick, attentive and expeditious to cut.

Selector

Luis Enrique: He surprised with the substitution of Morata to remove Dani Olmo from false nine. The team behaved as he wants in all phases of the game and deserved to get ahead of Italy. He succeeded in timing the changes (he was going to take Marcos Llorente and Adama out just when Morata tied) and hold two for extra time. This time the work to prepare the penalties did not work and Spain fell in the lottery of the round.

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