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France left it late to seal victory against Spain in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League final.
An opportunistic strike from Kylian Mbappe in the 80th minute sealed Les Bleus' come-from-behind victory on the night. Despite playing some of the best football in the tournament, Spain eventually came up short at the San Siro on a dramatic night.
Luis Enrique's men dominated most of the possession against France with a flurry of passes, which was initially too much for Les Bleus to handle. Just after the hour mark, Spain took the lead when the in-form Mikel Oyarzabal put the ball into the net after getting the better of Dayot Upamecano.
Spain's lead proved short-lived, though, as Karim Benzema provided a swift riposte for France before Mbappe's late winner sealed the deal.
After dominating large swathes of the game, Spain will regret letting France come back and seal victory. Nevertheless, many young players playing their first major final in a largely youthful Spain side impressed.
However, there were a few who were found wanting on the big night. On that note, here's a look at the five players who underperformed for Spain in the final.
#5 Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea right-back Cesar Azpilicueta remains a trustworthy choice for coach Luis Enrique. Azpilicueta proved his worth throughout the 2020-21 Nations League, but looked below his best in the final against France.
The 32-year old failed to close spaces on multiple occasions, letting the pacy French forwards through on counters. One such instance saw Karim Benzema taking a pass from Mbappe and cut in from the left flank before driving a piledriver of a shot for France's equaliser.
Azpilicueta could have done nothing about the shot. But he should have closed down Benzema earlier and not let the Frenchman have a go at goal.
#4 Unai Simon
Unai Simon has become the starter for Spain after David de Gea's horrendous performances at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
However, the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper is not a leader despite putting in a string of good performances for the team. While Benzema's exquisite thunderbolt was almost impossible to keep out, the 24-year old could have done better for Mbappe's winner.
Simon was untested for most of the match, and he did well on a few occasions to deny France. However, the harsh reality for goalkeepers is that they will always be judged by the goals they concede more often than the saves they make. The Spain international should have done better to keep out Mbappe's strike, which proved to be the difference between the two teams on the night.
#3 Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia was another Spain player who had a decent night but imploded in the crucial moments. Garcia had a solid first half, with the young centre-back keeping a pacy France attack at bay. The Spaniard kept a close eye on the likes of Mbappe and Benzema, not allowing them much space to work with.
However, Garcia's defining mistake in the final came during Mbappe's winner when his deflection played the French star onside. While some would argue that the offside rule is unfair, the centre-back should not have stridden towards Theo Hernandez's pass, as Mbappe was clearly offside.
Calmness is a pivotal trait for a defender to succeed. While Garcia is clearly talented, he should have been more composed, as his deflection led to France's winner.
#2 Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres is a man in form. The winger displayed his worth in the semi-final against Italy, so much was expected from him in the final. But Torres failed to make a mark, and could not trouble a three-man French defence.
The 21-year-old did cause trouble on the flanks, but lacked the end product in front of goal. So his hard work eventually went without recognition on the night. The Spain forward was barely in the game during the second half, and clearly lacked the fitness to play 90 minutes in the high voltage encounter.
Torres has performed superly in the 2021-22 campaign so far. But he remains a work in progress as has seen in his quiet outing against France in the Nations League final.
#1 Pablo Sarabia
Arguably the quietest player on the pitch for Spain in the Nations League final was Pablo Sarabia. Against some of the best defenders in the game, Sarabia looked uncharacteristically devoid of ideas. The 29-year old did not offer much for Spain in attack, and lacked the output like his compatriot, Ferran Torres.
The winger simply did not have the pace or the trickery to cause trouble for France. Spain needed something extra to break down France's resolute defence, but could not do so, thanks to Sarabia's toothless outing.
The winger was unable to capitalise on France defender Jules Kounde giving the ball away cheaply, which could have been a turning point in the game for Spain. Due to his poor showing, he was subbed out by Luis Enrique around the hour mark.
