Spain’s Joselu pounced with two minutes remaining to snatch a 2-1 win over Italy on Thursday and set up a Nations League final clash against Croatia.
Luis de la Fuente’s side shaded a tight battle in Enschede
to progress to Sunday’s final, where Zlatko Dalic’s outfit are lying in wait
after beating hosts the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Yeremy Pino sent La Roja ahead after three minutes but Ciro
Immobile netted from the penalty spot to level and the game seemed destined for
extra time before Joselu prodded home from point-blank range to win it.
The victory eases pressure on De la Fuente, who had been
heavily criticized after March’s loss to Scotland, in what was only his second
game in charge.
Joselu, who has three goals in three games under the new
coach, who handed him his debut, managed to stay onside and convert after Rodri
Hernandez’s effort was deflected into his path.
The poacher, 33, was relegated with Espanyol this season but
netted 16 times in La Liga.
“I am very happy for everyone, the group and the coach
deserve it,” Jesus Navas, who became Spain’s oldest ever player at 37, told
Spanish broadcaster TVE.
“We played with great intensity, we’re delighted and we can
be very proud of getting ourselves into the final.
“It’s a beautiful and hard-fought triumph, this is the way
we have to go to achieve success.”
De la Fuente handed new “signing” Robin Le Normand his debut
alongside another French-born center-back, Aymeric Laporte, at De Grolsch
Veste.
The Manchester City defender and his team-mate Rodri were
playing after tasting Champions League success last Saturday, with the latter
scoring the winning goal against Inter Milan in the final.
Mancini lined up with three at the back, giving veteran
center-back Leonardo Bonucci a start despite his patchy season with Juventus.
Italy immediately paid the price, with captain Bonucci
robbed on the edge of his own box under pressure from Gavi and Yeremy Pino,
with the latter driving into the box and firing past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
However, the Azzurri quickly pulled themselves level, when
Le Normand handled Nicolo Zaniolo’s effort.
Striker Ciro Immobile dispatched the penalty, back with the
side for the first time since their catastrophic World Cup play-off defeat by
North Macedonia in March 2022.
Sassuolo midfielder David Frattesi ran onto Jorginho’s chip
and slotted Italy’s second past Unai Simon, chosen in goal over Kepa
Arrizabalaga, but it was ruled out for offside.
Alvaro Morata forced Donnarumma into a solid save down to
his right as Spain played on the counter-attack, willing to go long to find the
Atletico Madrid striker in an end-to-end affair, the 40th “Mediterranean
derby”.
Spain thrashed Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final and won in
the 2021 Nations League semi-finals, while Italy won Euro 2020 after beating
Spain on penalties in the semis.
AFP
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