Spain morale is sky high after win over Italy, says coach Luis de la Fuente
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Spain's Joselu celebrates scoring their second goal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ENSCHEDE – Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said that his team’s morale was “sky high” after they beat Italy 2-1 on Thursday to reach the Nations League final against Croatia.
La Roja snatched a late winner through Joselu after Italy’s Ciro Immobile cancelled out Yeremy Pino’s opening goal.
Victory was a relief for de la Fuente, who had been criticised heavily after his first two matches in charge in March, the second of which was a 2-0 loss to Scotland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
“(I feel) satisfaction and pride, I think we played an extremely high-level game,” he said.
“We followed what we had prepared. We’re happy and our morale is sky high.”
The coach handed Robin le Normand his debut after the French-born defender obtained Spanish nationality in May, and the Real Sociedad player, 26, impressed despite conceding an early penalty for handball.
“We have seen him so many times, he’s shown he’s top draw. He’s cool-headed, he’s another player for the future of Spanish football,” added de la Fuente.
“He is very calm, he doesn’t get nervous in tough situations. There was the accidental situation, he had the bad luck of hitting the ball with his hand.
“(But his level) doesn’t surprise us, that’s how he is, he’s very good.”
Spain capitalised on a defensive lapse to take the lead inside three minutes as Pino produced a cool finish, but Immobile scored his first international goal in two years from the penalty spot following Le Normand’s handball.
Extra time looked inevitable as both teams ran out of ideas in search of a winner. Fittingly, perhaps, the goal came in bizarre circumstances when Rodri’s fierce shot bounced off two defenders and fell kindly for Joselu to poke home from close range.
In the final on Sunday, Spain will face Croatia, whom they beat 5-3 after extra time in the last 16 of Euro 2020.
Joselu was in the right place at the right time to guide Spain into another final.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Italy coach Roberto Mancini said he wished he had approached the second half with more attacking intent.
He stuck to the 3-5-2 formation from the start and watched his team fade as Spain took control.
“I think it is a significant defeat because I care about it and I would have liked to have made it to the final,” said Mancini.
“Maybe we could have taken up a higher block and been more attacking. We dropped off too much in the second half, absolutely.”
He also said that Italy must keep looking for new attacking talent, adding: “We already began to freshen things up and will continue to do so.
“There are good kids. But talent comes in waves.
“Right now we have good midfielders and defenders, but we are lacking great forwards. I don’t know why.”
The defeat by Spain continued the erratic form of the 2020 European champions, who missed out on the last two World Cups and lost to England in Euro 2024 qualifying in March. AFP, REUTERS
