They may not have been favorites a few weeks ago – but two games in and Spain have announced themselves as serious Euro 2024 contenders.
Thursday’s impressive 1-0 victory over Italy – sealed by Riccardo Calafiori’s own goal – became only the second team to qualify for the round of 16 in Germany.
With youngsters Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal shining on the flanks, Spain will be asking themselves how they didn’t defeat yet another surprisingly flat Italy.
Spain started in perfect fashion – also beating Croatia 3-0 in their first Group B game – and will be hoping to end a 12-year wait for a major trophy.
They’re also winning with style. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague described them as “the best Spanish team since 2012”, while BBC pundit Chris Sutton called the victory over Italy “a total mismatch”.
‘The sky is the limit’ for Spain
Spain dominated world football between 2008 and 2012 – winning two European Championships and one World Cup – but their record in recent major tournaments has been dismal.
The team has been eliminated in the round of 16 of every World Cup and European Championship since 2016, with the only exception being their run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals.
Coach Luis de la Fuente takes over in 2022, having led the under-21 team to European youth glory in 2019.
He lifted the Nations League title with Spain last year and now believes his young and exciting team are at the top of their game.
“[It was] Spain’s best performance [since] I took charge,” said the 62-year-old.
He added that “the sky is the limit” for his team, a sentiment shared by many BBC Sport pundits.
“There’s no argument that this is the best Spanish team I’ve seen since we beat Italy in the 2012 final,” Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It is very rare that there is such a big difference between two great teams, very rare.
“This was the perfect performance. It had absolutely everything.”
Premier League winner Sutton said other teams “won’t want to face [Spain] in the qualifiers” and that the victory over Italy was a “total mismatch”.
Meanwhile, Italian coach Luciano Spalletti said that Spain “has been playing the best football for a long time”.
Williams applauded by teammates in the locker room
Spanish wingers Williams and Yamal have a combined age of just 37.
Yamal, aged sixteen made the headlines with his man-of-the-match performance against Croatia on Saturday. This time it was Williams who caught the eye.
The Athletic Bilbao striker – who was also part of the Spanish squad for the 2022 World Cup – got the better of the experienced Italian right-back Giovanni di Lorenzo, even giving his opponent a beating in the first half.
He was inches away from scoring the goal his performance would have deserved when he hit the post with a powerful long-range shot late in the game.
The 21-year-old made a great catch in the 78th minute and told reporters he was applauded by his teammates in the dressing room after the match.
“Williams has pure quality. He’s got real pace, he can go left and right,” former Manchester United captain Roy Keane told ITV One.
“[He was the] best player on the park. When young, good players join your group, it cheers everyone up. They’re not going to play scared.”
BBC World Service’s John Bennett was in Gelsenkirchen and added that he was “genuinely surprised by [Williams’] talent”.
