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Italy and Spain went head-to-head in the first semi-final of the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night at the San Siro Stadium. The rematch of the EURO 2020 semi-final saw Spain settle the scores in regular time, clinching a well-deserved 2-1 win.
European champions Italy were the favorites to book a spot in the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday. However, the dismissal of Leonardo Bonucci in the 42nd minute never gave them the chance to get going.
Ferran Torres scored both goals for the visitors in the UEFA Nations League last-four fixture, once again showing why he is so highly rated. Lorenzo Pellegrini reduced the arrears in the 83rd minute, but it was too little too late for Italy.
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The goals were only a part of the story; there were many exceptional Spanish performances on Wednesday night in Milan.
Today, we will take a closer look at the match and give you our top-five standout performers for Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-final. Now, without further ado, let's get to it.
#5 Sergio Busquets
Barcelona and Spain captain Sergio Busquets has come under fire for his lack of dynamism. The defensive midfielder has had a hard time adjusting to the frantic pace of the game, which has resulted in sub-par displays.
But on Wednesday, Italy did not get the chance to make him uncomfortable, allowing Busquets to take command of the midfield.
Throughout the UEFA Nations League semi-final clash, Busquets did not put a step wrong and adjusted the tempo as he saw fit. He beat Italy’s aggressive pressing with ease and was in complete sync with the attack and defense.
He was dispossessed a couple of times, but those did not lead to anything substantial for Italy.
#4 Marcos Alonso
Chelsea’s recent woes in England and Europe have put every Blues player under the microscope. Marcos Alonso, who started for Spain in the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Italy, was no exception. Fortunately, he did not crumble under pressure and put in an excellent shift against the Azzurri.
Alonso was arguably the most versatile player on the pitch on Wednesday. Not only did he link fantastically with Mikel Oyarzabal down the left, but he also used his physicality to neutralize Italy’s attacking intentions.
He was instrumental in both the goals and did not let his energy drop even for a second over the 90 minutes. With Jordi Alba ruled out of the final, Alonso should once again get the nod to start on the left.
Another performance of this caliber will take Spain a lot closer to their first UEFA Nations League title.
#3 Mikel Oyarzabal
The UEFA Nations League has a host of excellent forwards and midfielders at its disposal. Against all odds, Real Sociedad man Mikel Oyarzabal has climbed to the top, emerging as one of the best players in the tournament.
After flying below the radar at EURO 2020, Oyarzabal seems to have pledged to make amends at the UEFA Nations League. In the first semi-final, he was a force to be reckoned with down the left-hand channel and made life impossibly difficult for the Italian right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
He assisted both goals on Wednesday night and in a similar fashion. He put in a perfect cross into Torres’ path in the 17th minute to help Spain take the lead.
Just before the half-time whistle, he swung in another cross. This time it asked Torres to leap higher and meet the ball. The Manchester City man met that requirement to give Spain a 2-0 lead right before the half-time break.
#2 Gavi
Injuries to key players forced Spain coach Luis Enrique to experiment with his squad for the semi-finals against Italy in the UEFA Nations League. In the end, he walked home with a spring in his step, knowing his biggest gamble of the night paid off handsomely.
Enrique handed Barcelona starlet Gavi his Spain debut on Wednesday night. The move caught Italy off-guard and they spent the entire night trying to find a way to stop the youngster.
At 17 years and 62 days, Gavi became the youngest player in history to feature for Spain, and, surprisingly, he never looked out of depth. He passed expertly, dominated Italy's midfielders, and always found a way out of trouble.
It was a dream debut for the 17-year-old, and we are excited to see if he can carry his form over to the final.
#1 Ferran Torres
With Alvaro Morata ruled out, Enrique decided to give Ferran Torres the opportunity to prove his mettle. It only took him 17 minutes to make that opportunity count, to give his side a well-deserved lead.
Oyarzabal’s early cross from the left was perfect, but it needed Torres’ golden touch to reach the back of the net. Unfazed by the opener, he charged forward for his brace and eventually got it through with an excellent header right before half-time.
The “make-shift” striker’s header demonstrated his ability to play as an out-and-out centre-forward and score goals that any striker would be proud of. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury in the second half and was eventually taken off.
We hope the injury is not all that serious and he can feature in the UEFA Nations League final this Sunday.
