Martín Zubimendi was Spain's hero in Murcia against Denmark (1-0). The Real Sociedad midfielder scored a volley goal in the 79th minute that allowed Luis de la Fuente's men to save a duel in which La Roja looked uncomfortable from start to finish. With Lamine Yamal and Pedri González in the XI and Pau Cubarsí on the bench, the European champion lacked depth and forcefulness to display the football that characterizes him.
The match, as expected, was not easy at the Enrique Roca Stadium. Denmark was the first to reach the rival area in danger. Dolberg tested Raya in the 3rd minute with a good shot that the Arsenal goalkeeper blocked thanks to his quick bailing in one-on-one. The visitors' pressure was very effective in the opening quarter of an hour, while Spain looked for a way to establish connections in the midfield made up of Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz and Pedri.
Lamine was not accurate in the first half
The Real Sociedad footballer had La Roja's first clear opportunity in the 18th minute, with a shot that crashed into the side of the net. Spain took control of the match, suffocating the Danish exit with very effective pressure in the rival field. In the 21st minute, Lamine Yamal appeared on the scene, with a left-footed shot that Schmeichel sent to the corner without much difficulty.
The locals had the clearest finishes, although Raya once again avoided another dangerous rise from Dolberg in the 31st minute with a providential cut. Spain looked more disorganized than normal in several sections of the first half, while the visitors opted for a compact block. Just before the break, the brand new Spanish '10' had the best chance to open the scoring, thanks to a good filtered pass from Pedro Porro. However, the Barça winger failed in the one-on-one definition, finishing high against Schmeichel.
Zubimendi appeared to leave the 3 points at home
Both teams took the field without any variations in the complement and the proceedings of the match changed little compared to the initial 45 minutes. Fabián Ruiz warned with a shot into the side of the net in the 52nd minute and, ten minutes later, Álvaro Morata was unable to finish due to the quick departure of Schmeichel. Luis de la Fuente moved the bench in the 63rd minute with Álex Baena and Mikel Merino coming on for Pedri and Oyarzabal, both missing during the second half. 15 minutes later, Joselu would enter for Morata.
When Spain began to despair due to the lack of a goal, a volley from Zubimendi appeared to save the night. The midfielder caught a ball on the edge of the area and, with time and space, finished on goal. The ball deflected slightly off an opponent, displacing Schmeichel who, this time, had a weak response. With the victory, La Roja regains the lead in Group 4 with 7 points, 1 more than the Danes. Next Tuesday it's time to receive Serbia in Córdoba. There, Pau Cubarsí hopes to enjoy the minutes he did not have in Murcia.