Spain suffered their first World Cup qualifying defeat since 1993 when they were beaten 2-1 by Sweden at Friends Arena, ending La Roja’s streak of 66 straight qualifiers.
The two teams drew 0-0 during Euro 2020, but faced with lively home support, Sweden were much more of a threat to the future this time around, with star duo Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak playing decisive roles. .
Isak scored the quick equalizer after Carlos Soler scored a debut goal in a largely entertaining but not dramatic first half.
The second period was definitely more exhilarating, and it was Kulusevski’s good work to create the winner of Viktor Claesson, who leaves Sweden leading the group with nine points, two clear of Spain who also played one more game. .
Soler’s international career had lasted less than four minutes when he landed Jordi Alba’s precise delivery at the end of a smooth move, but their lead lasted just 63 seconds.
A Soler error in Spain’s midfield allowed Isak to take possession and clinically found the bottom right corner from 20 yards.
Spain predictably dominated possession, but created no clear chances before half-time, while on the other side they needed Unai Simon’s attention, who blocked Kulusevski’s shot from a tight angle on 36 minutes.
Sweden had a lucky escape shortly after the second half, with Robin Olsen saving from close range when Filip Helander deflected a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta to his own goal.
They quickly made the most of that match by going 2-1.
Kulusevski beat Eric Garcia on the left and threw a wonderful pass in the center of the box for Claesson, whose masked shot found the bottom left corner.
Spain built up pressure in the finals, substitute Adama Traore is particularly lively on the right, but Sweden ultimately held out for a well-deserved victory.
[21:55] Ryan Benson and embed the code for it:
1 – Spain suffered their first defeat in a World Cup qualifier since March 1993 against Denmark (1-0), ending a streak of 66 unbeaten qualifiers (W52 D14). Shock. pic.twitter.com/VdGcPWK4Ih
– OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 2, 2021
What does it mean? A family history for La Roja
Spain had 75 percent of the ball over the course of the match, but in front of goal it was largely insignificant. This was the main result of Euro 2020, because apart from the beating of a terrible Slovakia and a strange win over Croatia, their tournament was mostly defined by a lack of power in front of goal.
Here they got an expected score of 2.2 compared to Sweden’s 0.65, but the hosts were the ones who were clinicians in the area: Isak and Claesson’s efforts both had xG values of 0.04, which equates to a four percent chance of scoring.
Maybe Sweden was lucky, or maybe Spain could learn something from their resolve.
Kulusevski stretches Spain
Sweden have not exactly created a series of chances, but on the rare occasions when they have thrown counterattacks, the pace and skill of their forwards clearly worried the Spanish defense. Kulusevski was central in this, as demonstrated by the assist for Claesson, another cut-back who did not reach the set target and an excellent pass that freed Isak in the final.
Isak didn’t make the most of the opportunity in the final stages, failing to pull off a shot, but that move underscored how good Kulusevski can be: carrying such a threat despite being under pressure for much of the match is a great habit for get inside.
Moreno – where to be seen
None of the Spanish forwards covered themselves in glory, although Alvaro Morata was a little more lively than Gerard Moreno.
The Villarreal star hasn’t made a single shot or key pass in 64 minutes on the pitch, while at least his attacking mate has had a couple of attempts. Moreno endured a difficult Euro 2020, failing to score from 16 shots, and here he was no better.
What’s next?
Spain will return home to host Georgia in Badajoz on Sunday and should bounce back immediately. Sweden will face Uzbekistan in a friendly match on the same day, before attempting four wins out of four in qualifying three days later when they leave for Greece.