Abhay Singh
European champions Spain secured their spot in the Nations League quarterfinals with an impressive 3-0 victory at home against Serbia. The goals were scored by Aymeric Laporte, Alvaro Morata, and Alex Baena, guiding the team to a well-deserved win on Tuesday.
The triumphant performance showcased Spain’s skill and determination, marking a noteworthy achievement in their Nations League campaign as they advanced to the next stage of the competition in style.
Spain tops League A Group One with 10 points\
With two games remaining, Spain leads League A Group One with 10 points, three ahead of Denmark and six ahead of Serbia. Switzerland is bottom on one point following a 2-2 home tie with the Danes.
With two games remaining, Spain has assured at least a second-place finish. Despite having fewer players than the squad who defeated England 2-1 in the July Euro 2024 final, Spain nonetheless defeated Serbia, attempting 30 shots to just three for the visiting team.
With a close-range header from defender Laporte in the fifth minute, Spain took the lead. After 65 minutes, Morata, who had missed a penalty in the 54th, added to the lead with a strike from just inside the area.
After Serbia’s Strahinja Pavlovic was sent off for a last-man tackle on Mikel Oyarzabal in the 78th minute, Baena curled a beautiful free kick into the top corner to seal an easy win for Spain.
“We are in another final stage of a major tournament”
Spain’s Captain Morata said “We are in another final stage of a major tournament and that is something to be proud of, It seems easy because we are always there in the final stages but sure it isn’t so we have to understand how special it is and give it the proper value it has.”
“We have several injured players, we missed them but we have to look at the positives that are young players stepping up. What we have created is special and we have to keep going forward. Spain has an incredible future.” He added.
Luis de la Fuente’s team faced Serbia without teenage phenom Lamine Yamal after they defeated Denmark 1-0 on Saturday. Spain were without Dani Carvajal and Rodri due to serious knee injuries, along with other key players including Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, and Robin Le Normand.
However, his diminished squad did not miss a beat, dispatching Serbia with ease and winning Group A4 for the third time in a row to earn a top-two finish and become the second team to book a quarterfinal spot after Germany, who achieved qualification on Monday.
Following Laporte’s header from Pedro Porro’s cross, Spain squandered a number of opportunities, including a penalty kick for Veljko Birmancevic’s handball, which Morata smashed over the crossbar.
It took until 20 minutes into the second half for it to double its lead. First, Morata scored on the inside of his left foot following a deft pass from Fabian Ruiz, and then Baena completed the victory with an excellent free kick.
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