It was a masterly performance, above all defensively: Switzerland surprised Spain and achieved an unexpected 2-1 away win in the Nations League with a mature performance.
The Swiss received the greatest possible praise from their opponents. “We went into the game with the same goal as always, but we had an opponent who pressed very well, who is physically very strong and prevented us from playing our football,” said Spain coach Luis Enrique after the surprising 1-2 defeat.
It was Switzerland’s first victory in Spain. And in the 25th duel with the Spaniards only the second win after a 1-0 win at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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“We stood together as a team for 90 minutes and struck ice cold,” said goalscorer Manuel Akanji. The ex-Dortmunder (21st minute) had given the Swiss the lead after a corner kick, the former Mönchengladbacher Breel Embolo (59th) followed suit.
Jordi Alba (55th) scored the equalizer for the Spaniards. “First you have to find a team that has more possession than Spain. We knew their strengths,” said coach Murat Yakin. “But we stayed awake and organized.”
Discipline over 90 minutes
And the Swiss maintained this discipline over the full distance. “First a cold shower, then a hot run!” was the headline in the Blick newspaper, referring to the fact that the Swiss players were briefly wet by a lawn sprinkler while warming up in Zaragoza.
In the final group game, a draw against the Czech Republic is enough for Switzerland to avoid relegation to the B league. However, the Confederates will have to do without defender Akanji, who has been suspended, on Tuesday.