Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
Spain started their Euro 2024 run with a commanding 3-0 victory against Croatia on Saturday, with Fabian Ruiz playing a starring role.
While all tournament games are crucial, the matchup was immense considering how competitive Group B is. Along with the two continental heavyweights, reigning European champions Italy is in the group as well. Losing this fixture would potentially put either side behind the eight ball.
Also highlighting the matchup was Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old phenom became the youngest player to ever feature at the Euros.
Not only did the Barcelona star break the record, but he did it by some margin. The previous record was held by former 17-year-old Poland midfielder Kacper Kozlowski.
Croatian star Luka Modric had just completed his fourth senior season at Dinamo Zagreb when Yamal was born.
Spain scores trio of goals before halftime break
Spain, perhaps unsurprisingly, took control of the ball throughout the early stages of the match. Yamal was also used as a key outlet for his teammates going forward. The teen first found himself in a quality area inside the seventh minute. He then picked out Alvaro Morata near the edge of the Croatian box. The forward, however, sent a relatively tame effort towards Dominik Livakovic.
Spain finally took advantage of their chances by grabbing the lead in the 29th minute with a goal from Morata. Fabian Ruiz created the strike with a glorious ball that cut through the Croatian defense. The striker latched on to the clever pass, ran towards goal, and slotted a shot beyond Livakovic’s outstretched foot.
Ruiz then doubled his team’s lead just three minutes later. The creator of the first goal collected possession just outside of Croatia’s box, dribbled by a defender, and placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The goal was the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder’s third ever score for his national team. Ruiz also recently netted a goal in Spain’s most…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/uefa-euro/fabian-ruiz-propels-spain-in-domination-of-croatia/
Author : Chris Moore
Publish date : 2024-06-15 18:11:59
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
