If this was very much the night’s second match, those watching Italy-Croatia may have missed the chance to see the fifth-best team at Euro 2024. That just happens to be Spain’s second team, who kept playing with a fluidity beyond virtually everyone else at the tournament.
They had many of the same qualities as the first team, if also the same flaws in the finishing. That didn’t matter here, as they beat Albania 1-0 to make it a perfect three wins from three in the group stage. They will now surely look to become the first European champions to win all their games, something no one has yet done, even in the 16-team era. That is what Spain should be aiming for.
