Spain suffered a 2-1 defeat by Switzerland as objectives from Manuel Akanji and Breel Embolo knocked the hosts off the highest of Nations League Group A2 on Saturday with one sport left to play.
The Swiss held agency in opposition to final 12 months’s finalists for a lot of the sport and handed their rivals solely their second dwelling loss in virtually 20 years and their first in Spain since 2018.
The Spaniards are actually in second place on eight factors, having been leapfrogged by Portugal, who breezed previous Czech Republic 4-0 away to achieve 10 factors.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s facet will make the ultimate 4 with not less than a house attract Tuesday’s crunch sport in opposition to Spain, who should win in Braga to qualify for the semi-finals.
Switzerland are third on six factors, two above than Czechs who they may face on Tuesday in a battle to keep away from relegation.
Akanji opened the scoring with a header from a nook within the twenty first minute, however Jordi Alba equalised for the hosts with a cross-shot from a counter-assault 10 minutes after the break.
Three minutes later, nevertheless, Embolo obtained the winner with an in depth-vary strike from a nook after Akanji flicked the ball in direction of the six-yard-field the place the striker turned it goalwards.
“We played against rivals that were really aggressive, pressing, physically very strong, who prevented us from playing our style of soccer,” Spain coach Luis Enrique advised TVE.
“We were not on target, really erratic, the worse I can remember since I’ve been coaching this team. “We want to repair that as a result of now we’ve a ultimate at Portugal. We must go there and win. There is not any different approach.”
In Portugal’s win in Prague, Ronaldo needed treatment early on after being caught in the face by goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik but soldiered on.
The Portuguese managed possession and opened the scoring within the thirty third minute when Rafael Leao swung a cross into the world and Diogo Dalot fired previous goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.
Ronaldo missed an opportunity to double the lead earlier than Fernandes put the guests additional forward in first-half added time when he surged into the field and transformed a cross from shut vary.
Ronaldo then conceded a penalty for handball however Patrik Schick blazed the spot kick over the bar simply earlier than the break.
Dalot netted his second aim quickly after the interval with Jota rounding out the scoring within the 82nd minute to go away the 2019 winners in pole place to achieve the semi-finals.
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