Incredible late goal propels Spain into Nations League final against Croatia
Spain secures a spot in the Nations League final against Croatia with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Italy, thanks to a late goal by substitute Joselu
Joselu's late goal granted Spain a thrilling 2-1 triumph, propelling them into the Nations League final against Croatia. The Spanish team had initially taken the lead with Yeremy Pino's goal in the third minute, but Italy was quick to retaliate with Ciro Immobile's penalty in the eleventh minute, following Robin Le Normand's handball from Nicolo Zaniolo's volley.
During the first half, Davide Frattesi's apparent goal was disallowed due to an offside call after a back-and-forth match. However, the quality of play seemed to decrease after the break, with both teams showing signs of fatigue. Alvaro Morata attempted a low shot from the six-yard box but missed, while Rodri's impressive acrobatic effort just cleared the crossbar. Despite the missed chances, Spain appeared to have the upper hand in the search for a winning goal.
Unai Simon made an outstanding reaction save to prevent Frattesi from scoring as the game headed towards extra time. With just two minutes left on the clock, Joselu came to Spain's rescue by redirecting Rodri's deflected shot into the back of the net, securing their spot in the final.
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Spain players celebrate after Joselu grabbed a late winner
Croatia secured their spot in the final after a thrilling 4-2 victory against Netherlands in extra-time on Wednesday evening. The highly anticipated final will take place in Rotterdam on Sunday at 7.45pm. Meanwhile, Italy will go head-to-head with the Dutch in the third-place play-off on the same day, with kick-off at 2pm. Stay tuned for further updates.
