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What's the story?
Spain boss Robert Moreno has lavished praise on Kepa Arrizabalaga following his spectacular save in the dying stages of the 2-1 victory against Romania in the Group F qualifiers for Euros 2020.
According to Moreno, it was Kepa's time to ply his trade in goal, in place of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.
In case you didn't know...
Despite having mustered 21 shots on goal to go along with the 75% possession they had on the ball, Spain endured some nervy moments against a gritty Romanian side, especially after Diego Llorente's sending off in the 79th minute.
Goals from Sergio Ramos (penalty) and Paco Alcacer helped the cause, but it was Kepa's last-gasp save in injury time that stood out and spared Spain's blushes in a game that could have gone either way.
La Roja therefore, maintained their 100% record in the qualifiers so far, and are five points ahead of Sweden in Group F.
The heart of the matter
Kepa meanwhile, has substantially strengthened his case for the national team owing to his consistent performances for club and country, whenever called upon. The glove man has now started each of Spain's last four games. In fact, the 2012 European champions are yet to lose or draw a game where Kepa has featured in goal.
He produced a fabulous reaction save to deny a close-range header from George Puscas, a moment that largely impressed his manager as well. Moreno, on Kepa's performance, stated:
"It was Kepa's turn, we thought he was the right one for this game. I'm very happy with him. He stood out because he saved us from a draw. We are very happy that he was able to help us in the end, just as each player does his job."
Kepa provided his reaction to the hard-fought victory as well, claiming:
"Of course I feel the confidence of the boss, but we are three goalkeepers. The boss is the one who decides the 11 that go out to the field. What we three goalkeepers have to do is to be prepared and, whoever comes out, help the team.
We have gone down one road and now we have another to go to Euro 2020. We want to qualify with as many points as we can get."
What's next?
Spain take on Faroe Islands at the Estadio El Molinón later today.
