Vicente del Bosque was visibly a happy man after his side were made to work their socks off before securing a dramatic 1-0 win over Czech Republic in Toulouse.
The match was rather predictable in terms of tempo, as soon as the whistle was blown. Spain controlled the ball while the Czechs sat back and kept it tight defensively. Despite that, Spain did manage to create several key chances in the first half. Unfortunately, once they got past the Czech defence, Petr Cech was there to deny them.
Alvaro Morata was completely nullified and his inability to find space meant that Spain were horribly wasteful in the final third. Midway through the second half, Del Bosque responded by bringing on Aritz Aduriz and it did make a difference. The Bilbao striker provided some much needed physical presence upfront and could have scored from at least two opportunities, including an audacious bicycle kick.
The Czechs kept holding on, knowing that a point was well within reach. But on the 85th minute mark, Gerard Pique sent the Spanish fans into frenzy mode by heading past Cech to make it 1-0, after a glorious assist from Andres Iniesta. Four minutes later, the final whistle was blown and Del Bosque’s men claimed three valuable points to open their title-defence bid on a positive note.
Here are the three players that impressed today!
Andres Iniesta
We’ve run out of superlatives to describe Andres Iniesta. He was at his usual best today, providing the sense of calm in the middle of the park. His combination with Fabregas was crucial to the flurry of chances that were created in the first half and his sheer movement was enough to constantly trouble the Czech defenders. Ultimately, it was his assist that contributed to the winning goal. Astounding display from the Barcelona man.
Petr Cech
The Czech defenders were collectively brilliant, but it goes without saying that Spain did have 6-7 clear-cut chances. The only thing that stopped from converting those chances was Petr Cech. The Arsenal shot-stopper produced several world-class saves to deny the likes of Morata, Fabregas and even Iniesta on two separate occassions. Yes, he couldn’t prevent Pique from netting the goal. But otherwise, it was a splendid performance from the goalkeeper.
Gerard Pique
Okay, so he did score the winning goal. But Pique wasn’t just all about the goal today. His composure in defence meant that Spain did enough to nullify Czech’s counter-attacks, particularly after the goal. He was a constant threat from set-piece situations and his positioning was spot on. But of course, due credit has to also be given for the sensational goal. Most players would have been tempted to unleash power on that delivery, though Pique perfectly placed it into the net to score his first goal in an international tournament. What a way to do it as well!
FULL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Other posts by Keeshaanan Sundaresan
