Zaragoza, Spain
\nSwitzerland earned a 2-1 win over Spain in the Nations League on Saturday in Zaragoza to drag Luis Enrique\u2019s side off top spot in the group.
\nPortugal thrashed the Czech Republic 4-0 in the other League A Group 2 clash to move two points clear of Spain, whom they host on Tuesday in the final group match. It was Spain\u2019s first defeat in the group in five games, and one which exposed their defensive frailty from set-pieces.
\nManuel Akanji and Breel Embolo both scored from Switzerland corners, either side of Jordi Alba\u2019s strike.
\n\u201cIn two set-piece situations, which will be important at the World Cup, their goals arrived,\u201d said Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
\n\u201cWe have to improve on that.\u201d
\nSpain never looked comfortable in the game, a far cry from the team which reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals and were defeated on penalties by Italy.
\nAs a result, they stumbled to their first loss on home soil since 2018, after 22 matches unbeaten.
\nLuis Enrique selected six Barcelona players in his starting line-up, including the regular midfield trio Xavi Hernandez utilises at Camp Nou, in Pedri, Gavi and Sergio Busquets.
\nFerran Torres was another of the Barca clan, part of a three-pronged attack alongside Real Madrid\u2019s Marco Asensio and Paris Saint-Germain\u2019s Pablo Sarabia.
\nNone of the three have enjoyed regular football with their clubs this season but were given Luis Enrique\u2019s trust.
\nThey did not repay it in the first half, with Spain anaemic in attack and asleep at the back when it mattered most.
\n\u201cWe were sluggish, no, worse than sluggish,\u201d said Luis Enrique.
\n\u201cWe had the most imprecise first half of my reign as coach.
\n\u201c(However) this defeat does not condition anything ahead of the World Cup, at all. It\u2019s always good to arrive in form to a World Cup, but I have total faith in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zaragoza, Spain Switzerland earned a 2-1 win over Spain in the Nations League on Saturday in Zaragoza to drag Luis Enrique\u2019s side off top spot in the group. Portugal thrashed the Czech Republic 4-0 in the other League A Group 2 clash to move two points clear of Spain, whom they host on Tuesday in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-285714","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n