Drama at the death as Aspas lifts feeble Spain
IT will be a long climb to the top of the world from here if Spain are actually going to get there. Their group’s quite extraordinary denouement delivered them a turn-around beyond any expectation.
Not just a 93rd-minute equaliser but Iran’s own late leveller. All of which means Spain will face Russia, and then possibly Croatia and either England or Belgium, rather than France and Germany or Brazil.
But it was certainly not a stride out towards the knockout phase. They have to thank the VAR for overruling a linesman’s decision to disallow Iago Aspas the late goal, which avoided a humiliation which they couldn’t have said they did not deserve. They will be glad to face the Russians in Moscow on Saturday evening, given the manner of the hosts dismantling by Uruguay, whom they avoid.
In Isco, they also possessed last night’s outstanding player. But the tournament has not been shaken to its foundations by the 2010 winners. It was a fight from the start — literally so, at first.
There’s not always been much love between the Spanish and Moroccans, and that certainly extended to the pitch. Morocco’s game plan — kick a Spaniard — was deeply unedifying. More unexpected, though, was the so-called elite nation’s own combustibility.
Less lenient referees would have sent Gerard Pique from the pitch for his two-footed tackle on Khalid Boutaib early on. He left the ground when he leapt into the tackle, though Younes Belhanda’s challenge on Andres Iniesta could also have incurred red. There was a moment of extraordinary Spanish floundering in front of defence, too, when Iniesta’s heavy touch barely 15 minutes in left him and Sergio Ramos dithering over who should take control.
Each left the task for the other, resulting in Boutaib seizing the ball, sprinting 20 yards, and just about managing to tuck away through David De Gea’s legs.
Spain offered brief glimpses of sublimity: football to take your breath away. They equalised inside five minutes through the finest piece of passing architecture — quick exchanges concluded with Isco tapping home an equaliser.
Though possession belonged to Spain for long spells in the first half, the front line rarely looked incisive.
Costa was marginal, turning one ball neatly for Thiago whose finish was wild. For Morocco, Noureddine Amrabat crashed against the bar just after half-time and it was on 81 minutes that Youssef En-Nesyri stunned Spain, to power a header home.
There were to be two more twists. Isco’s cross was flicked in by Aspas. The Moroccans howled injustice though it was another validation of VAR. And then, Iran’s late leveller.
When Spain were busy sacking Julen Lopetegui, they would have taken this outcome by any means but there will need to be a stepchange if they are to seize upon their late salvation. SPAIN (4-3-2-1) De Gea 8; Carvajal 6, Pique 6, Ramos 6.5, Alba 6; Busquets 5.5, Thiago 6 (Asensio 74min, 6); Silva 6 (Rodrigo 85), Iniesta 7.5, ISCO 8; Costa 5.5 (Aspas 74, 6.5). Scorers: Isco 19, Aspas 90+1. Booked: None. Manager: Fernando Hierro 5.5. MOROCCO (4-2-3-1) El Kajoui 6; Hakimi 6, Da Costa 6.5, Saiss, Ziyech 6.5 (Bouhaddouz 85); El Ahmadi 6, Boussoufa 6; N Amrabat 6.5, Belhanda 6 (Fajr 63, 6), Ziyech 6; Boutaib 7 (En Nesyri 70, 7). Scorers: Boutaib 14, En Nesyri 81. Booked: El Kajoui, Da Costa, Hakimi, El Ahmadi, N Amrabat, Boussoufa. Manager: Herve Renard 7. Referee: Ravshan Irmatov. Attendance: 33,973.