Chronicle of Switzerland – Spain, 1-4

The Spanish men’s football team beat Switzerland (1-4) in Geneva on Sunday in the second match of Group D of the UEFA Nations League, in a match in which they had to endure the weather and being one man down in the 20th minute, to give a lesson in good play, first, and then in effectiveness to achieve an important victory away from home and follow in the footsteps of leader Denmark, the next rival. Spain knew how to suffer to hold on in the men’s numbers from the 20th minute, when centre-back Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card. In fact, they barely suffered at the back, perhaps too much in set pieces but almost nothing in Swiss attacking plays. And, in attack, they were very accurate in going to those four goals and achieving a rout in the men’s numbers, away from home and soaked by the Swiss rain. Great victory for the Spanish team, with an intelligent Luis de la Fuente on the wing who knew how to read very well the outcome of a match full of changes, marked by that expulsion but also by a great start by the Spanish team, which this time did show its best version; the one that led them to win Euro 2024 and previously to win this Nations League that they now defend. Spain did not have the ball, but they did play almost perfectly the cards they were forced to use. On a field with grass in poor condition, worsened by that constant rain, Spain saw its victory in danger with that expulsion and when Switzerland got the 1-2 and pushed the Spaniards into their area. Things looked bad there, but Spain reacted. Not with its best football, speaking of an associative game of control, but with a very precise and successful direct game. Knowing how to change skin was the key to success. The first dangerous chance of the match fell to Spain in the third minute, when Nico Williams made his first foray from the left and crossed for Joselu, who was starting this time in place of Ayoze, to test Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. But in the next move, Spain did not forgive. From the right, with Lamine Yamal, who is still in a state of grace, came the goal that opened the scoring after a twist by the Barça winger that Joselu finished for goal, despite Kobel arriving to try to clear a ball that went in completely. Just three minutes after Joselu’s goal, Switzerland managed to equalise thanks to a move by Embolo, who put it perfectly from the left with the outside of his right leg for Becir Omeragic to finish easily. But, at the start of the play, there was a handball by Freuler that the VAR saw and the Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto disallowed the goal. And from that scare, the scoreline went to 0-2, thanks to Fabián Ruiz in the 13th minute, confirming the good shooting of Luis de la Fuente’s team in Geneva. In less than a quarter of an hour, three attempts on goal and two goals to take a big lead early on. In the goal, Fabián collected Kobel’s rebound from a shot by Nico Williams with a left-footed volley, who cut inside the area before forcing the Swiss goalkeeper to intervene. But he could do nothing about Spain’s second attempt. Everything changed in the 20th minute, when Le Normand was shown a direct red card for a foul on Embolo, who was going alone towards the goal defended this time by David Raya, which was supported by the VAR as there was no offside for the Swiss striker. And in the direct free kick after the expulsion, Switzerland could have reduced the difference but Amdouni’s shot crashed into the crossbar, with Raya out of the game. Spain breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they had to play 70 minutes with fewer men, but at least they kept the cushion of a two-goal lead. Luis de la Fuente had to make a move, opting to take off Pedri to bring on Athletic Club centre-back Dani Vivian, in order to maintain the double pivot formed by Rodri and Fabián Ruiz, but leaving Joselu somewhat more out of the way up front. Even so, the Spanish striker had the 0-3 at his feet after yet another rebound from the Swiss defence, but captain Akanji intervened, precisely, to prevent the third Spanish goal. David Raya was very good at deflecting a curling shot from Rubén Vargas to the corner, but Embolo hit the near post on the corner and Zeki Amdouni, unmarked, appeared at the far post at the second, shortly before the break (41′), to reduce the difference for Switzerland. SPAIN, A DEADLY FRONTLINE IN THE SECOND HALF Right at the start of the second half, Switzerland scored but again, as in the first half, they had their goal disallowed. This time because the ball, from a corner kick, flew out before Murat Yakin’s team scored. Spain was destined to suffer, even though De la Fuente looked for some breathing room by bringing on Ferran Torres for a Lamine Yamal who looked tired at the end of the first 45 minutes. Shortly afterwards, Yeremy Pino and Martín Zubimendi came on for Nico Williams and Rodri, with the same aim, to allow Spain to continue to be in top physical form and not succumb to a Switzerland that as the minutes went by was putting more and more pressure on the pitch. And shortly afterwards Rakin responded by bringing on Fabian Rieder and Vincent Sierro, to give more bite to the Swiss, who despite the disallowed goal created little danger in the second half. And despite the fact that Joel Monteiro and Kwadwo Duah’s entries tried to drown Spain in the Geneva downpour, it was Spain who silenced Stade de Genève with two counterattacks in just three minutes, from the 77th minute when Fabián Ruiz scored a brace before asking for a substitution, to the 80th minute when Ferran Torres ‘said’ the score. Both goals came from good, quick counterattacks after a Spaniards recovered after having to sit back and seal, with great success, a well-deserved victory. The Spaniards did not come out leaders in Geneva, due to Denmark’s second victory against Serbia (after beating Switzerland on the first matchday), but they did come out strengthened before facing the Scandinavians. For the moment, a prestigious victory in Switzerland, playing more than 70 minutes with fewer men and with a punch that, if it continues like this, will give more joy to Luis de la Fuente’s players, who knew how to move the bench well to always keep his team in the fight. TECHNICAL SHEET. –RESULT: SWITZERLAND, 1 – SPAIN, 4 (1-2, at halftime). –TEAMS. SWITZERLAND: Kobel; Wüthrich, Akanji, Rodríguez (Rieder, min.61); Omeragic, Freuler, Zakaria (Sierro, min.62), Aebischer (Monteiro, min.76); Amdouni, Embolo (Duah, min.76) and Vargas (Steffen, min.85). SPAIN: Raya; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Grimaldo; Rodri (Zubimendi, min.58), Fabián Ruiz (Aleix Garcia, min.81); Lamine Yamal (Ferran Torres, min.46), Pedri (Vivian, min.28), Williams Jr. (Pino, min.58); and Joselu. –GOALS. 0-1. Min.4, Joselu. 0-2. Min.13, Fabián. 1-2. Min.41, Amdouni. 1-3. Min.77, Fabián. 1-4. Min.80, Ferran Torres. –REFEREE: Irfan Peljto (BIH). He cautioned Vargas (min.18), Freuler (min.52) in Switzerland and Torres (min.69), Carvajal (min.69) in Spain. He sent off Le Normand (min.20) in Spain with a straight red card. –STADIUM: Stade de Genève, Geneva (Switzerland).