Spain continued their dominant form since winning Euro 2024, securing top spot in Nations League Group A4 with a 2-1 victory over Denmark on Friday, despite fielding a depleted squad missing several key players.
Mikel Oyarzabal, hero of Spain’s Euro 2024 final triumph over England, opened the scoring after 15 minutes before Ayoze Perez added a second goal on the counter-attack in the 58th minute. Denmark managed a late consolation through Gustav Isaksen following a defensive error by Spanish substitute Fabian Ruiz.
“We came here with the objective of winning. We knew we were going to have to suffer a bit but we’re happy with the result, the first place,” Oyarzabal told TVE after the match.
The victory, achieved without injured stars Dani Carvajal, Rodri, Lamine Yamal and Robin Le Normand, puts Spain on 13 points with one round remaining, six clear of second-placed Denmark. Switzerland’s 1-1 draw with Serbia confirmed their relegation with just two points, while Serbia sits third with five points.
Luis de la Fuente’s side, who had already secured their quarter-final spot with last month’s 3-0 win against Serbia, dominated early proceedings. Perez struck the crossbar in the 12th minute after missing another clear opportunity from a corner four minutes earlier.
The breakthrough came when Denmark’s defensive error allowed Dani Olmo and Perez to combine, setting up Oyarzabal for the opener. Perez later doubled the advantage, beating the offside trap before finishing inside the right post.
Denmark, who travel to Serbia Monday needing at least a draw to secure second place and quarter-final qualification, found late hope through Isaksen. The Danish forward, who had previously hit the post, capitalized on Ruiz’s poor back pass to score.
The result extends Spain’s impressive run since their European Championship triumph, showcasing their depth despite missing several first-choice players.
