STALEMATE IN SEVILLE
Spain 0 Sweden 0:
SPAIN were left cursing missed chances after giving Sweden a proper mauling in Seville.
In the spiritual home of bullfighting it was the home nation who had their opponents flagging and begging for mercy.
Yet Sweden so nearly turned the tables on the matadors.
Alexander Isak and Marcus Berg both missed superb opportunities to put the Spaniards to the sword.
The home side should have had their opponents out of contention by the time half-time came. Spain absolutely battered the Swedes for the entire first half and yet, remarkably, could have gone in a goal down.
They totally dominated possession, pegging Sweden back all half.
Luis Enrique’s men actually totted up 419 passes before the break which set up a new 45-minute tournament record. But the Spaniards were so nearly stung by a young man who they certainly cannot say they know nothing about.
Isak is one of the hottest properties in Spain right now and no wonder, the 21-year-old Swede has just been voted the La Liga’s Young Player of the Year on back of 17 goals for Real Sociedad.
He really should have punished the Spanish with his side’s one real break of the half.
Isak pounced close in, his shot struck Marcos Llorente and flew onto the post before bouncing back straight into the arms of keeper Unai Simon.
Alvaro Morata missed the hosts’ best of several big chances – he really should have scored in the 38th minute when Jordi Alba clipped a ball into him, but swept his shot around the keeper only to see it bobble wide.
Sweden squandered another golden opportunity in the second half after catching their opponents on the break again.
This time Isak was provider, showing intricate skills in the box before curling a cross to the far post where Berg was ideally placed just three yards out but failed to make a connection. SPAIN (4-3-3): Unai Simon 7; Marcos Llorente 8, Pau Torres 7, Laporte 8, Jordi Alba 8; Rodri 7 (Thiago 66, 6), Pedri 8, Koke 8 (Fabian 87); Dani Olmo 8 (Moreno 74), Ferran Torres 8 (Oyarzabal 74), Morata 6 (Sarabia 66, 6).
SWEDEN (4-4-2): Olsen 8; Lustig 6 (Krafth 75), Lindelof 6, Danielson 5, Augustinsson 6; Larsson 5, Ekdal 5, Olsson 5 (Cajuste 84), Forsberg 5 (Bengtsson 84); Berg 5 (Quaison 69, 5), Isak 7(Claesson 69, 5).