Spain-Sweden had already been branded as the Covid match, given the singular coincidence of excellent positivity on both fronts, Busquets and Kulusevski, which excluded two protagonists from the debut match at the European Championship. The virus weighed more on the Scandinavians, who already lacked Zlatan Ibrahimovic also had to do without the Juve striker, but Spain did not take advantage of their debut in Group E, coming out with a meager 0-0 from the torrid Seville evening, another alleged ‘help’, and with some more doubts. Luis Enrique’s national team – who chose not to call another column like Sergio Ramos and fielded 27-year-old rookie Laporte in defense and 18-year-old Pedri in midfield – had a very complicated approach to the tournament, including controversy over vaccines and difficulties in training but on the pitch the young team was not affected from a physical point of view, immediately dominating the game in an attempt to undermine the Swedish defense.
This, while dancing on a few occasions, nevertheless held up to the end -, at least partially managing to make the exceptional performance that coach Janne Andersson had hoped for for such a complicated debut -, also taking advantage of the repetitiveness and lack of incisiveness of the attack of home, with an uninspired Morata. The match started as expected, with Sweden behind the ball line and Spain patiently looking for the right gap across the attack front. On the few occasions that the Swedes tried to leave, the pressure on them was immediate from outside their area. Goalkeeper Olsen really started to work, and well, in the 16th minute, when he deflected a close header from Olmo for a corner. Then it was the Spaniards themselves who pardoned him, first Koke, who on 23 ‘shot out of the mirror from an excellent position and then Morata, who only in the area in front of the former Roma player for a gift from Danielson put out a little wasting the clearest chance of the match.
Luis Enrique’s team risked insult in the 40th minute, when Isak created panic on the counterattack and only a post, on Marcos Llorente’s deflection, saved Simon. The pace dropped in the second half, thanks to the heat despite the late hour, and Sweden were able to raise the center of gravity a bit, with Isak creating panic again in the Spanish area on 16 ‘, serving Berg an assist. that he badly wasted. At 21 ‘, Luis Enrique took away a little inspired Morata and Rodri by inserting Sarabia and Thiago Alcantara to try to break the deadlock. Shortly after, Andersson imitated him, removing the two points Berg and Isak to insert the agile Quaison and Claesson. Little has changed, except in the final forcing of the Red Furies, revitalized by the perhaps late entries of Gerard Moreno and Fabian Ruiz. The cover was earned by Olsen instinctively parrying a head shot by Moreno in recovery. The Red Furies had a fence on their debut, but they have time to make up for it, while Sweden, after the unexpected point conquered, see second place within reach, in a not irresistible group, even if the unexpected victory of Slovakia over Poland ‘shuffled the cards.