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Spain secured a thumping 4-1 win against Switzerland in their second League A Group 4 match in the UEFA Nations League in Geneva on Sunday, September 8.
Coming off a goalless draw against Serbia, manager Luis De La Fuente and his men were eager to get back to winning ways. He made four changes to the XI that started the last game, with Rodri stepping in as the captain for this one, along with Joselu, Alejandro Grimaldo and Pedri.
The game got off to a flying start as Spain were on the front foot and grabbed an early lead courtesy of some silky footwork by Lamine Yamal on the right flank. The Barcelona winger played a pinpoint cross to an unmarked Joselu at the far post for him to nod in for 1-0.
Minutes later, Switzerland seemed to have equalized via Becir Omeragic's strike from Breel Embolo's assist. However, play was pulled back for a handball from Remo Freuler and the goal was disallowed. Spain made the most of this as Fabian Ruiz doubled their advantage in the 13th minute.
However, La Roja complicated things for themselves when Robin Le Normand pulled Embolo down when he was through on goal, resulting in an instant red card for the Spaniard. De La Fuente sacrificed Pedri to bring on an extra defender in the form of Daniel Vivian, but Switzerland managed to sneak a goal before half-time from Zeki Amdouni's close-range strike as Embolo bagged a deserved assist.
Ferran Torres replaced Yamal at the break and slowly got up to speed with the game as Spain looked to push on. He assisted Ruiz's second goal in the 77th minute with a smart cut-back, which the PSG midfielder tucked into the back of the net with ease. Torres then got onto the scoresheet himself with a composed finish after being 1-v-1 with the goalkeeper to put a seal on the result.
Switzerland were left disappointed as they could not capitalize despite having a man advantage for over 70 minutes. They attempted 10 shots in the second period and could not manage to hit the target, while Spain scored with both their shots. The result leaves Murat Yakin's men reeling at the bottom of the table with zero points, while De La Fuente's men hold second place.
On that note, let's take a look at La Roja's player ratings.
Spain Player Ratings
David Raya - 7/10
Raya was sharp in goal and made two good saves in the first half. He also distributed the ball with 67% accuracy.
Daniel Carvajal - 6.5/10
Carvajal won two duels and made five clearances but was in no-man's land as his attempted clearance gifted the Swiss a goal before the break. He was also booked for a foul in the second period.
Robin Le Normand - 4.5/10
Le Normand nearly jeopardized Spain's match as he committed a needless last-man foul on Embolo when his team were two goals up and was sent off.
Aymeric Laporte - 6.5/10
Laporte had a busy night as he won three duels, making two clearances, two blocks and one interception.
Alejandro Grimaldo - 6.5/10
Grimaldo was solid at the back as he won three duels, making two interceptions and one clearance as well. However, he was ineffective on the overlap, failing to provide a single accurate cross.
Pedri - 6.5/10
Pedri was subbed off early in the game as De La Fuente looked to add defensive cover after Le Normand's red card.
Rodri - 6.5/10
Spain's captain for the night, Rodri had a decent game as he distributed the ball with 93% accuracy and won both his duels.
Fabian Ruiz - 9/10
Ruiz put in a dominant performance and scored a goal in either half with a first-timed shot on each occasion. He also won one duel and made four interceptions in a complete midfield performance.
Lamine Yamal - 8/10
Yamal continued in his rich vein of form and dazzled with the ball at his feet, completing three successful dribbles and providing an assist for Spain's opener. He also won an impressive eight of 10 duels.
Joselu - 8.5/10
Joselu opened the scoring for his team early in the game with a simple header at the far post. He also provided an assist for his team's fourth goal late in the game. He showed great aerial presence as well, winning eight of his 10 aerial duels.
Nico Williams - 6.5/10
Williams had just one big moment in this game but could not connect well with the ball and missed a glorious chance to score.
Substitutes
Daniel Vivian - 7.5/10
A first-half substitute, Vivian ensured Spain did not fall short despite being a man down. He won all five of his duel and made a game-high 11 clearances as well as two interceptions.
Ferran Torres - 8/10
Torres came on for the second period and arguably won the game for Spain in a three-minute burst late on. He first assisted Ruiz for his brace and then grabbed a goal for himself just three minutes later.
Martin Zubimendi - 6.5/10
Zubimendi replaced Rodri and put in a decent performance.
Yeremy Pino - 6.5/10
Pino replaced Williams but could not impact the game as much.
Aleix Garcia - 6.5/10
Garcia replaced Ruiz late in the game as Spain looked to shut up shop.
