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Final score: Spain 2-2 Morocco
Goalscorers: Khalib Boutaib 14' (Morocco), Isco 19' (Spain), Youssef En-Nesyri 81' (Morocco), Iago Aspas 91' (Spain)
Spain may have fought out an intense 2-2 draw against Morocco last night to finish the group stages of the 2018 FIFA World Cup atop Group B, but with all due respect to the Moroccans who put up a commendable performance, the result could have read very differently.
The Spaniards simply haven't been convincing enough this tournament, drawing Portugal in the first game and then picking up a narrow win against Iran. With a side consisting of as much talent and potential as this Spanish side, they should have quite honestly dominated this group.
Last night was no different as they struggled to pick up a point against their North African opponents. The Moroccans were the first to find the back of the net after Khalib Boutaib capitalised on a horrific giveaway by Spain.
Isco soon brought the Spaniards level, sending the ball crashing into the net after some brilliant play from Andres Iniesta. Morocco then stunned the favourites as Youssef En-Nesyri's splendid header gave them a 2-1 lead in the 81st minute.
Substitute Iago Aspas' flamboyant 91st-minute leveller saved Spain some blushes as they eventually finished the game 2-2, giving them the top spot in the group with 5 points from 3 games.
Again, meaning no disrespect to the resilient Moroccans, Spain should've sealed this game comfortably, and on that note, here's a look at 3 things that went wrong for them.
#3 Squad selection and substitutions
The new Spanish manager Fernando Hierro, hasn't had the best of starts after being appointed just a day before Spain's first World Cup game against Portugal. He is clearly yet to identify his best 11, and yesterday only accentuated the fact.
Starting Sergio Busquets and Thiago Alcantara was always going to result in some extent of redundancy as both players aren't the most attacking-minded. Dropping Lucas Vazquez for Thiago certainly seemed to cost them on the attacking front.
Further, the Spanish tactician seems to have cultivated a bad habit of leaving his substitutions a tad too late. It was Iago Aspas who ultimately saved the side from humiliation, but it makes you wonder - what if he had been brought on earlier than the 74th minute?
Andres Iniesta may be one of the greatest footballers to have graced the game, but at the age of 34, his tiring legs simply don't seem to be able to carry him for a full 90-minute game. With the likes of Aspas and Marco Asensio at his disposal, Hierro should perhaps opt for youth going forward as it could do wonders for the side.
#2 Cracks in defence
Manchester United shot-stopper David de Gea is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment, but the 27-year-old hasn't enjoyed the best start to the tournament and last night's game didn't make things any easier for him.
A silly mix up between Iniesta and Sergio Ramos handed Boutaib a ridiculous one on one situation with de Gea, and even the best goalkeepers in the world can't always deal with such scenarios on their own.
The second of Morocco's goals came via a superb header that no keeper in the world could've stopped, but if the likes of Ramos and Gerard Pique can't ward off such threats against a side like Morocco, do Spain stand a chance against the bigger sides and more prolific attackers?
Now, it's fair to say that Hierro and his side would've looked to play a relatively less intense game in a bid to avoid bookings, but perhaps last night's performance was a little too lackadaisical. A similar performance against any of the bigger sides could cost them dearly.
In 3 group games, Spain have conceded 5 goals - just 1 fewer than the number of goals they've scored. While they may have made up for it yesterday, such mistakes could definitely come back to haunt them against the bigger sides in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Despite boasting of one of the best defensive outfits in the competition, Spain simply haven't been solid enough at the back, and that's something Fernando Hierro will desperately have to address going into the knockout stages of the tournament.
#1 Too many shots, too few goals
18 shots, 5 on target, 2 goals.
Considering the vast attacking options that this Spain side possesses, those numbers just aren't good enough. Yes, they're creating plenty of chances. Yes, they're doing plenty right. But at the end of the day, it's the goal tally that truly matters.
Against Morocco, one would've expected Spain to bury a lot more chances than they actually ended up converting and that isn't a very good indication.
Diego Costa is no doubt a necessary piece to the puzzle. He's an excellent fulcrum to hinge the side on, but he isn't as prolific as Spain and their supporters would like.
This is where the side misses someone in the mould of a Harry Kane or Romelu Lukaku - someone who is almost guaranteed to bring the goals with him.
Last night Costa was on the field for 74 whole minutes, but only managed 2 shots, neither of which troubled Morocco's goalkeeper Munir. Further, the fact that Gerard Pique took the most shots (3) on the team will be of concern.
Isco, Thiago and Iniesta also took 2 shots each, with only Isco managing to successfully convert one.
While the other top-dogs like England and Belgium have already found themselves smack dab in the middle of goals, Spain will have to rediscover their shooting boots before it's too late.
