Spain secures the leadership of its group in the Nations League after defeating Denmark (1-2)

Spain secured the lead in group D of the UEFA Nations League thanks to a narrow victory against an always difficult Denmark (1-2). With only one FC Barcelona player in his XI (Dani Olmo), Luis de la Fuente opted for tenure in Copenhagen, without his 'rockets' in the lineup, but no less talented on the green.

La Roja took control of the game from the start and took the lead after the first quarter of an hour through Mikel Oyarzabal. Spain's high pressure forced Vestergaard to make a mistake against Mikel Merino, who triangulated with Ayoze Pérez and the Real Sociedad striker to open the scoring in the 15th minute.

The goal made the National Team slow down the pace of the match, taking refuge in the good work of Olmo and Álex Baena in the creation. The one in Terrassa, in fact, was the 'lighthouse' of the National Team in Copenhagen. With an assist, the Barça midfielder looked intractable on the field, with a ease and mastery in the administration of the ball and the spaces that Luis de la Fuente's men miss without the Catalan in the lineup.

A good pass from Dani Olmo ended the game

Dani and Ayoze himself had good opportunities to extend the lead before the break, but they lacked aim. Denmark tried to take advantage of Spain's nap in the last minutes of the first half, but they were not good enough to violate David Raya's goal.

🔥This Spain mola a lot.

Of Zubimendi to Elm, of Elm for Ayoze.

The @SEFutbol, increasingly near to seal the first square of group! pic.twitter.com/iqgpmhwupg

— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) November 15, 2024

In the second half, La Roja came out to kill the game and Olmo invented a pass between the lines to Pérez so that the Villarreal striker made it 0-2 in the 58th minute, who shot a perfect diagonal to define with a cross shot, impossible for Schmeichel. Afterwards, De la Fuente took advantage of the bench, alarmed by the possible injury of Martín Zubimendi.

This first career does not forget , truth, Marc?

🇩🇰 🆚 🇪🇸 | 0-2 | 80'#VamosEspaña | #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/mjcdz0rhhl

— Masculine Spanish selection of Football (@SEFutbol) November 15, 2024

Denmark gave the scare at the end

The San Sebastian native felt a puncture in his abductor and the Iberian coach took the opportunity to give Marc Casadó his debut. The Barça youth player came on in the 70th minute, while Pedri González did the same ten minutes later, replacing Mikel Merino. The changes did not sit well with La Roja and a rude error by Fabián Ruiz gave Isaksen a discount in the 84th minute due to an incredible miscommunication in the Spanish background.

Beyond the Danish reaction in the final stretch, Spain endured the result without drama and reached 13 points in 5 games, enough to secure its ticket to the quarterfinals as leader. For the National Team, the undefeated record extends to 20 official matches, which could be 21 next Monday in Tenerife, against Switzerland (last in the group, with 2 points). Denmark, for its part, remains second (7) and Serbia is third with one day left until the end of the first phase.