Spain stifled as Swedes grind out grim draw
Spain tried to pass Sweden into oblivion in their Euro 2020 opener on Monday but had to settle for a 0-0 draw as they were let down by poor finishing and might have even lost had it not been for a glaring miss by opposing striker Marcus Berg.
Alvaro Morata spurned Spain’s best opportunity in a dominant first-half display from Luis Enrique’s side on a scorching evening at Seville’s La Cartuja stadium in Group E when he missed the target from inside the area after a defensive slip.
But Sweden’s Berg was equally wasteful when he somehow missed the target after a sensational piece of skill and cross from fellow forward Alexander Isak, who had manoeuvred his way past four Spain defenders to put the chance on a plate.
Spain ran out of steam in the second half before rallying again late on but still failed to beat Sweden keeper Robin Olsen, who thwarted substitute Gerard Moreno in stoppage time.
“We had a lot of chances but we couldn’t finish them off,” said Spain coach Luis Enrique. “I feel bad for the players and fans as we were the better team against a side who decided to close ranks in defence, who are very strong physically and who only tried to attack with the odd long ball.”
This was a deeply frustrating start to the tournament for three-time European champions Spain, who broke a competition record with 917 passes while keeping 85% possession but failed to win their first game for the fifth time in their last six major tournament appearances.