'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Spain picked up a comfortable 1-0 victory against Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League earlier today as Luis Enrique's young side solidified their position at the top of Group 4 with seven points in three games. The Spaniards created a bulk of the chances in the game and came away with a well-deserved victory.
Switzerland find themselves rooted to the bottom of the group and endured a disappointing outing as Spain dominated the game. Luis Enrique will be thrilled with his side's performances and will hope that Spain can improve their conversion rate in the latter stages of the competition.
Switzerland carved out an excellent chance for themselves on the counter but an excellent save from David de Gea kept them in the game in the opening stages. The Spaniards struck back almost immediately as they pounced on a misplaced pass from Yann Sommer to get the first goal of the game.
The Swiss shot-stopper made an exceptional save from Ferran Torres only minutes later as Spain continued to boss the game in the first half. The likes of Ansu Fati and Mikel Merino had a considerable influence on the first half and were in excellent form.
Jesus Navas was in the thick of the action again in the second half as he picked out Oyarzabal with an inch-perfect diagonal cross. Switzerland improved after their second-half substitutions but Pau Torres and Sergio Ramos put in a good shift in central defence.
The Swiss did find the back of the net in the second half but the goal was ruled out for a foul during the build-up. The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Silvan Widmer did push forward towards the end of the game but failed to find the equaliser as Spain picked up an important victory.
Spain Player Ratings
David de Gea - 7/10
David de Gea pulled off a stunning save from Loris Benito in the opening stages of the match to keep Spain in the contest. The Manchester United shot-stopper did not have much to do for the rest of the game and will be happy with his performance.
Pau Torres - 6.5/10
Pau Torres put in a composed performance alongside Sergio Ramos at the heart of Spain's defence. The Villarreal centre-back did hold his ground against Switzerland's attacks in the second half and is set for an extended stay in the Spanish first team.
Sergio Ramos - 7/10
Sergio Ramos had an excellent first half and won most of his aerial duels with Haris Seferovic and pushed forward on a few occasions. The Spain captain marshalled his troops effectively and had an excellent game.
Jose Gaya - 6/10
Jose Gaya was arguably the weak link in the Spanish back-line tonight and had some nervy moments in his own half. The full-back did not offer much in the final third and will need to improve to keep his place in Luis Enrique's side.
Jesus Navas - 8/10
Jesus Navas was unsurprisingly a livewire on the right flank and nearly bagged an assist in the first half with a pinpoint cross to Ferran Torres. The Sevilla captain had an excellent game for Spain and is likely to remain his side's first-choice right-back.
Sergio Busquets - 7.5/10
Sergio Busquets was back to his best tonight and made several interceptions for Spain in the midfield. The Barcelona veteran was particularly effective in the first half as Spain dominated the game.
Mikel Merino - 8/10
Mikel Merino's international career continues to go from strength to strength. The midfielder pounced on Yann Sommer's misplaced pass in the build-up to Spain's first goal. The midfielder also linked up well with Ansu Fati and had an excellent game alongside Sergio Busquets.
Dani Olmo - 6.5/10
Dani Olmo was given a place in the first team by Luis Enrique after his excellent performance against Portugal earlier this week. The RB Leipzig attacker was not at his best today, however, and was taken off in the second half.
Ferran Torres - 7.5/10
Ferran Torres had a positive outing against Switzerland and tormented the opposition's full-backs with his pace and trickery. The Spanish winger shifted to the left flank in the second half and gave a good account of himself.
Ansu Fati - 7/10
Ansu Fati had his fair share of bright moments in the first half and linked up well with his teammates. The Barcelona teenager was unable to get on to the scoresheet, however, and was replaced by Adama Traore in the second half.
Mikel Oyarzabal - 7.5/10
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for Spain in the first half and had an excellent chance to double Spain's lead just before the hour-mark. The Real Sociedad striker could have had more goals in the second half and will look forward to leading the line for Luis Enrique in the coming month
Substitutes
Adama Traore - 7.5/10
Adama Traore made an immediate impact from the bench in the second half and obliterated Switzerland's defence with his pace and power. The Wolves winger created several chances and is growing into an excellent super-substitute for Spain.
Sergio Canales - 6.5/10
Sergio Canales came on in the second half and had a relatively quiet game as Spain looked to manage the remainder of the match.
Gerard Moreno - 6/10
Gerard Moreno came on for Spain's goalscorer Mikel Oyarzabal in the second half and did not have much of an impact on the game.
Rodri - 6/10
Rodri made a late appearance in this match and replaced his Manchester City teammate Ferran Torres before the end of the game.
Also Read: France vs Portugal prediction, preview, team news and more | UEFA Nations League 2020-21
Switzerland Player Ratings
Yann Sommer - 5.5/10
Yann Sommer's horror mistake in the first half saw Switzerland conceding the lead to Spain as Mikel Oyarzabal pounced on the shot-stopper's misplaced pass. Sommer did make a few excellent saves during the game but his mistake effectively cost his side the game.
Ricardo Rodriguez - 6/10
Ricardo Rodriguez had a positive outing in the first half and stopped Spain's attackers on numerous occasions. The defender did have a few nervous moments against Ferran Torres and struggled to keep up with Adama Traore in the second half.
Fabian Schar - 6.5/10
Fabian Schar could do nothing about Yann Sommer's misplaced pass and was beaten only once by Spain's forward line during the game. Schar occupied a central position for Switzerland and was reliable for his side.
Nico Elvedi - 6.5/10
Nico Elvedi shielded his defence on several occasions during the game and was effective against the dangerous Ansu Fati. Elvedi has been excellent for Switzerland this year and is likely to keep his place in the starting eleven.
Loris Benito - 5.5/10
Loris Benito had an excellent chance to open the scoring for Switzerland in the opening stages of the game but his weak effort drew a spectacular save from David de Gea. The wing-back was caught out of position on several occasions and was replaced by Steven Zuber in the second half.
Silvan Widmer - 6.5/10
Silvan Widmer struggled to keep up with Ansu Fati in the first half and was often in an advanced position as Spain took advantage of the space in the final third. The right-back improved in the second half and did create a few chances for his side.
Granit Xhaka - 5.5/10
Granit Xhaka was virtually anonymous against Spain and was outclassed by the opposition's talented midfield. The Arsenal midfielder failed to create chances of note and will be disappointed with his performance.
Remo Freuler - 5/10
Remo Freuler struggled against Sergio Busquets and Mikel Merino and gave Spain the ball on several occasions in the game. The midfielder was taken off in the second half.
Djibril Sow - 5.5/10
Djibril Sow barely saw the ball in the first half as Spain dominated possession and deprived Switzerland of the ball. The midfielder was replaced by Ruben Vargas in the second half.
Admir Mehmedi - 6.5/10
Admir Mehmedi had his fair share of positive moments in the first half but could not make much of an impact. The forward was replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri in the second half as Switzerland chased an equaliser.
Haris Seferovic - 5.5/10
Haris Seferovic was marked out of the game by Sergio Ramos and was unable to push forward and trouble Spain's back-line. The striker remained on the fringes of the game and was largely ineffective in the final third.
Substitutes
Xherdan Shaqiri - 7/10
Xherdan Shaqiri was brought on to galvanise Switzerland's attack in the second half. The Liverpool forward did manage to initiate a few attacks for his side but was unable to find the equaliser.
Ruben Vargas - 6.5/10
Ruben Vargas improved his side's midfield in the second half and allowed Switzerland to have more of the ball in certain periods in the game.
Steven Zuber - 6/10
Steven Zuber came on late in the second half and was unable to make much of an impact on the game.
Mario Gavranovic - 6/10
Mario Gavranovic was used as a late substitute on the night and did not have enough time to make an impact.
Edmilson Fernandes - 6/10
Edmilson Fernandes did have a few bright moments towards the end of the game but was unable to find a goal for Switzerland.
