Euro 2012: Spain beats Croatia to reach quarter-finals
Spain needed a late goal from substitute Jesus Navas to ensure its passage to the European Championship quarterfinals, beating Croatia 1-0 to finish first in Group C.
|Last Updated: Jun 19, 2012, 08:28 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Gdansk: Spain needed a late goal from substitute Jesus Navas to ensure its passage to the European Championship quarterfinals, beating Croatia 1-0 to finish first in Group C.
Standings» I Fixtures & Results» I Pic Gallery»
Spain finally broke open the Croatia defense after wasting a number of late chances as Cesc Fabregas lobbed a through ball for Andres Iniesta. The Barcelona midfielder controlled the ball before flicking a short pass over to Navas, who put his shot into an empty net in the 88th minute.
"We played to the end and we deserved the win," said Navas, who scored his second career goal for the world champions.
Spain dominated possession as expected but failed to create many clear opportunities on a warm night at the Arena Gdansk. On the other end, Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas made a pair of clutch saves in the second half.
The defending champions, who are trying to win their third straight major title, will next face the second-place team in Group D on Saturday in Donetsk, Ukraine. Italy also advanced from Group C after beating Ireland 2-0.
"We made a great step forward. We qualified. That`s what motivates us for the quarterfinal. Our philosophy and style of play are good and we proved it in today`s match," Del Bosque said. "The team played well even though the match didn`t go as we planned."
Navas` goal came moments after Iniesta and Fabregas failed to convert late opportunities, with the European champions often trying to string together one too many passes.
"We suffered a lot tonight. They are very good," Iniesta said. "We had to be patient. We had to wait for our chance. That`s what we did in the end."
Croatia could have reached the quarterfinals with a victory. Casillas, however, made a reflex save on Ivan Rakitic`s header in the 59th minute and then punched out substitute Ivan Perisic`s low volley in the 79th.
Casillas, who recorded his 76th shutout in his 134th appearance, was Spain`s steadiest player in defense as the backline was often troubled in the second half by balls into the box.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.