De La Fuente Praises Spain As World's Top Team After Beating Italy In Euro 2024
Spain's head coach, Luis de la Fuente, expressed his belief that he is managing the best group of players in world football after Spain secured their place in the Euro 2024 knockout rounds by defeating Italy. Spain was placed in what many considered the toughest group of the tournament but managed to excel, thrashing Croatia 3-0 before overcoming Italy 1-0 on Thursday.
With this victory, Spain clinched the top spot in Group B with a game to spare. Riccardo Calafiori's own goal secured their deserved win over the reigning champions. Spain dominated the match, firing off 20 shots compared to Italy's four, creating 1.9 expected goals (xG) to Italy's 0.18, and enjoying 57.2 per cent of possession.
This marks only the second time La Roja has started a European Championships tournament by winning their first two games without conceding a goal, following their victories over Czechia and Turkiye in 2016. Players like Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, and Pedri shone against Italy, reinforcing De la Fuente's confidence in his squad.
"I think we're the best in the world in terms of interpreting various match situations," De la Fuente stated at his post-match press conference. "Of course, that is really reinforced and strengthened when you win silverware. But I think it's important to underline the quality of this generation of players."
He added, "The Spanish players are the best in the world." This sentiment was echoed by the team's performance statistics, which highlighted their dominance over Italy.
| Team | Shots | xG | Possession (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 20 | 1.9 | 57.2 |
| Italy | 4 | 0.18 | 42.8 |
The match was a one-sided affair, with Italy fortunate to lose by only one goal. The statistics tell the real story of Spain's dominance.
Ahead of Matchday Three
De la Fuente now has the luxury of resting players against Albania on matchday three but remains cautious about complacency in the last 16. "I think we were superior across the board from a footballing perspective," he said. "Perhaps it even seemed that Italy played badly, but that's because we played very well."
"Italy won the Euros three years ago. We're still a long way off winning the European Championship. We haven't yet achieved anything," De la Fuente cautioned. "We've won some important matches and have wonderful prospects. But football can also be very cruel. So we need to be cautious, humble, and show respect."
The Spanish team will look to maintain their momentum as they progress further into Euro 2024, with hopes high but feet firmly on the ground.
Spain qualify as Group B winners #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/ViL2lEAGkt
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 20, 2024
Spain 1-0 Italy A one-sided affair, with the reigning champions fortunate in the end to lose by only one goal. The stats tell the real story #EURO2024 #ESPITA pic.twitter.com/Qsybm3aj5x
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 20, 2024
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