Spain 2-1 Norway
There was little to no doubt at the Estadio de Mestalla that Spain would start their Euro 2020 campaign on a high. They still have some of the most dominant players in world football, and they are eager to erase the bitter memories of their most recent international competitions.
The question that was ringing in the minds of La Roja fans was the margin of victory they would enjoy against Norway. The Løvene aren’t exactly the toughest opponents the Spaniards can face in their qualifying group, but they definitely have the players who can bring on the pain if they weren’t careful enough.
Valencia — and most of the Iberian peninsula, for that matter — got some nerves when their guests managed to pull one back against them. However, Sergio Ramos ensured that they are on track to produce fantastic Euro 2020 highlights next year with the winning goal five minutes later.
Everything is as expected in Spain, and the supporters can only hope that such strong performances continue until the end of the season.
Highlights of the game
Luis Enrique fielded a rather attack-oriented formation with the 4-3-3. Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio, and Rodrigo were starting up front; Sergio Busquets was the central man in midfield, while Sergio Ramos and Davi de Gea were responsible for holding the backline without Gerard Pique. Meanwhile, Norway also had a couple of familiar names in their Starting XI in Joshua King and Martin Odegaard.
It didn’t take long for Valencia to witness their national team making some moves as Rune Jarstein was tested within the first ten minutes of the game. Alvaro Morata met a cross in the fifth minute to head it towards the goal. Unfortunately for him, the Hertha Berlin stopper got to the ball.
However, they didn’t have to wait long for the Spaniards to get ahead in the game as Rodrigo made his impact with the first goal on the 16th minute. Spain made some beautiful plays on the possession on the left-hand side, and Jordi Alba launched a cross to the middle. The Valencia striker fired a volley past Jarstein.
Norway had to pick themselves up after the quick goal, but it was hard to make an attack when Spain had the ball for most of the first half. Both Rodrigo and Morata had chances to double Spain’s lead, but the Norwegian defence did well in blocking the shot.
Markus Henriksen tried to put the game back on level terms in the 31st minute, but his effort just went straight to the waiting gloves of De Gea. Norway held their breath for a minute when Jordi Alba managed to score before half-time, but the linesman raised his flag and called the Barcelona man offside.
The second half began with an energised Norway eager to get back on track. The nation is on a footballing high as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is finding success with Manchester United, and the Løvene want to make the most of the attention the sport is getting.
Spain were still taking control of the match, but the tables quickly turned when Iñigo Martinez pulled his mark’s shirt inside the penalty area. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and up stepped Joshua King. The Bournemouth striker managed to beat the Man United stopper as he equalised for his country.
The Mestalla was stunned with the goal, and an air of uncertainty slowly crept up in the stands. This hasn’t been the first time La Roja buckled in international competition, and their frustrating second-half collapse against England in the Nations League still stings to this day.
A draw wasn’t out of the cards before the match, and the possibility of it ending in a tie was weighing down on the fans.
However, everyone was ecstatic again when Jarstein ran off his line made a poor sliding challenge against Alvaro Morata just inside the box. Sergio Ramos stepped up to the spot for the penalty. He made Jarstein dive to the right as he scored the winning goal with a cheeky Panenka right down the middle of the goal.
It was a rather nervy start to their qualifying campaign, but fans are just thankful that the Euro 2020 betting odds that surround this qualifier was proven correct. They can now look forward to getting more wins and finishing top of their group.
Key statistics
Sergio Ramos has once again proven how important he is to Spanish supporters and seasoned SBOBET punters who backed La Roja. The fact that he scored in his last five national team appearances emphasises the extraordinary quality he brings to the national team offensively and defensively.
The way Spain dominated their guests also makes one question why the winning margin isn’t bigger. The Spaniards had 67% possession and made 26 goal attempts with ten on target. They had 25 free-kick attempts and nine corners. Jarstein was busy throughout the night as he had to make eight saves.
What’s next?
The Euro 2020 dream continues for these two nations as they look to move on from this match. However, they will be approaching their next match with differing mindsets.
Spain are obvious favourites against Malta and there should be no reason that they don’t take the victory against the 182nd-placed nation in the FIFA World rankings. Luis Enrique will work to make sure his lads don’t have any complacency ahead of this game.
Meanwhile, Lars Lagerback will have quite a task ahead of him as they play Sweden up next. The Blue-Yellows are also favoured to make it out of their qualifying group and compete in the main tournament. He must lead the Norwegians against his own countrymen in what will be a tough match.
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