GENEVA – Coach Luis de la Fuente hailed unfancied striker Joselu after Spain grabbed their first win since lifting the Euro 2024 title by comprehensively beating Switzerland 4-1 in the Nations League in Geneva on Sept 8, despite going down to 10 men.
Joselu scored a fourth-minute header and Fabian Ruiz struck Spain’s second in the 13th, before defender Robin Le Normand was sent off seven minutes later.
Zeki Amdouni pulled one back for Switzerland in the 41st minute to give the hosts hope.
However, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Ruiz struck again in the 77th minute before substitute Ferran Torres delivered the coup de grace three minutes later.
“I am very happy for all the players, especially Joselu. I am very fond of him,” de la Fuente said.
“He is a player that I appreciate a lot. He always works very hard to help the team to improve. He had a great match and he did what we asked him to do with 11 players and with 10.”
Former Newcastle United and Alaves striker Joselu, now playing at Al-Gharafa in Qatar, was impressed with the way Spain handled the match.
“Today’s game shows the level we are at,” he said. “We played a great game against a great team.”
The rain-soaked match was a sell-out played before 26,265 fans at the Stade de Geneve, where the pitch remains in poor condition. The grass has been plagued by fungus, the holes covered with green paint.
Denmark lead the Nations League Group A4 with six points after beating Serbia 2-0 in Copenhagen earlier on Sept 8.
In their first match since beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in July, Spain opened their Nations League title defence on Sept 5 with a frustrating goalless draw against Serbia in Belgrade.
Meanwhile, Switzerland had a disastrous night in Copenhagen, losing 2-0 to Denmark, with both captain Granit Xhaka and defender Nico Elvedi sent off.
Xhaka has a record 131 caps for his country and Switzerland manager Murat Yakin said the team missed the midfielder’s influence and experience against Spain.
“We really started being courageous and aggressive – and we were punished for that,” he said.
“We came back into the game, created chances, hit the bar. There should have been a penalty and then we risked everything in the last 20 minutes and we did not have luck on our side in the decisive moments of the game.”
In the other big game on Sept 8, Portugal substitute Cristiano Ronaldo struck a late winner as his side came from a goal down to beat Scotland 2-1 in Group A1.
After Bruno Fernandes had fired in Portugal’s equaliser, Ronaldo pounced in the 88th minute for his 901st career goal.
Scotland were given hope of a first win against Portugal since 1980 as they took a shock lead through Scott McTominay’s bullet header in the seventh minute.
But the visitors ended up with nothing to show for their efforts, as 39-year-old Ronaldo again delivered for his country.
“The influence is always the same, regardless of whether he starts on the bench or not,” Fernandes, who played his 600th career game, said of his former Manchester United teammate.
“Everyone who came on made the difference. Cristiano has a goal, today he scored 901 and now he’s on his way to a thousand, which is what he wants.” AFP, REUTERS