Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Monday November 18, 2024 at 11:01 p.m.
The 6th day of the Nations League offered matches full of twists and turns, with the victory snatched by Spain against Switzerland (3-2) and an intense match between Croatia and Portugal, ending in a draw (1- 1).
At the Cartuja stadium, Spain had to draw on its resources to win against an eye-catching Switzerland (3-2). From the first minutes, La Roja imposed its style of play, dominating a Swiss team in difficulty. Alejandro Pino opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, taking advantage of a saved penalty to adjust goalkeeper Mvogo. Despite several missed opportunities, Spain returned to the locker room with a deserved advantage (1-0). In the second half, Switzerland came back with more bite. Monteiro, initially clumsy, equalized on an individual action in the 63rd. But the Swiss euphoria was short-lived: Gil exploited a defensive error five minutes later to restore the advantage to Spain (68th). The tenacious Nati equalized again thanks to a penalty converted by Zeqiri (85th).
While a draw seemed inevitable, Zaragoza gave Spain victory in stoppage time by converting a penalty obtained in the final moments (90'+3). With this victory, Spain finished undefeated and at the top of its group, confirming its status as favorite. Switzerland, despite its courage, concluded a mixed campaign.
Croatia and Portugal share points in a balanced clash
In Split, Croatia and Portugal delivered a high-intensity clash, leaving with a parity score (1-1). The Portuguese took the lead in the first half, cementing their domination thanks to João Félix, who scored a magnificent goal on a bright pass from Vitinha (33rd). Despite a Kramaric post before the break, Croatia reached the locker room late on the scoreboard. Invigorated, the Croatian selection changed its face in the second half. After a goal disallowed to Gvardiol for offside, the defender found the fault in the 66th minute, equalizing with a clever recovery. Portugal tried everything to regain the advantage, but Livakovic, imperial, made several decisive saves, notably against Mendes (73rd). In stoppage time, Budimir came close to a feat for Croatia, his shot hitting the post (90'+2).
This result confirms the quality of the two teams, who display solid arguments for the next stages of the competition. Portugal demonstrated its technical mastery, while Croatia stood out for its resilience and the state of grace of its goalkeeper. In the other matches of this Monday, November 18, 2024, Scotland beat Poland (1-2), Denmark held Serbia in check (0-0). The Danish team validates its ticket for the quarterfinals of the Nations League. Finally, Romania and Kosovo won at home.