Serbia Hold Spain to a Goalless Stalemate as Both Sides Play out goalless Draw in UEFA Nations League A Clash
Serbia and Spain had to share spoils through a goalless draw in a closely competitive encounter between both teams. Despite Spain dominating the possession and fashioning a number of chances, the Serbian defense managed to hold tight to ensure a hard-fought point at home. Chances fell to either camp to open the scoring, but resolute defending coupled with various missed opportunities by the teams kept the scoreline goalless.
First half: Dominant Spanish possession, 0-0
It didn’t take more than a few minutes to tell that Spain would dominate the rhythm of the game, with the visitors taking immediate charge of that through midfield controllers like Fabian Ruiz and Pedri. Meanwhile, Serbia were happy enough to lie deep and soak up whatever came their way through relying on a backline to set up counter-attacks here and there.
Clear-cut opportunities were at a premium throughout the first period, though Spain were dominant in terms of possession. Dani Olmo was busy on one flank, Nico Williams on the other, attempting to find a way to open the back door of Serbia, but the visitors’ central defensive partnership of Strahinja Pavlović and Stefan Mitrović stood firm. The best chance fell to Spain in the 27th minute when Dani Carvajal powered forward and cut back a cross into the box that somehow Serbia cleared.
There were moments of Serbia’s opportunities, too, particularly through Andrija Živković, who was a constant threat to the counter. However, they struggled to work the ball into dangerous areas as Spain’s high press minimized their chances of creating meaningful opportunities.
Second Half: Spain Goes Forward, Serbia Stands Firm
The pattern of the second half was exactly the same, with the Spanish having most of the possession and Serbia anchoring its approach on solidity at the back. The Spanish had changed it around early in an attempt to inject further impetus into their forward play, introducing Mikel Oyarzabal and Alejandro Grimaldo for Ander Pérez and Marc Cucurella in the 56th minute.
It was then the turn of Spain to almost get on the scoresheet, as Dani Olmo picked up an effective position outside the box in the 59th minute, but his effort sailed wide of the post to let Serbia’s goalkeeper Predrag Rajković off the hook. In the next moment, Rodrigo Le Normand received a yellow card for his mistimed challenge as some frustration started creeping into the Spanish camp.
Serbia then introduced changes of their own, Marko Grujić and Petar Ratkov coming in to give them fresh legs in midfield and attack. The hosts gradually started finding their feet, creating some nice moments of their own. Luka Jović, who was rather subdued through most of the match, slowly found some space; he did little, though, with the few and limited opportunities that came his way.
Opportunity Moments and Missed Moments
One of the deciding factors of the game was Dani Olmo’s yellow card after a late challenge in the 67-minute mark. A resultant freekick was handed to Serbia’s Lazar Samardžić just outside of the box; the effort was reasonably comfortable for Spain’s goalkeeper, Unai Simón. It was Serbia’s first real shot on target and showed their general lack of attacking intent throughout most of the match.
As the game wore on, Spain continued piling on the pressure as Joselu and Ferran Torres came off the bench in search of finding that elusive goal. A minute past the hour mark, in the 74th minute, Spain finally thought they had found a breakthrough as Joselu headed a cross from Pedri; however, his header was well saved by Rajković, who was having an outstanding game.
With time running out, Spain became desperate for a winner. In the 85-minute mark, Serbia withdrew Mitrović for Ivan Ilić as Serbia looked to double up on more defensive reinforcement. Spain ran riot in the last few minutes, but the visiting Serbian defense was stubborn as shots were blocked and crosses cut out to keep the scoreline level.
Spain Misses in Front of Goal
It was Spain, though, who had 74 percent of the ball and took 23 shots at the goal, with only five of those on target. That in itself sets the tone for a night when it may not be easy to find the net. Even with attackers such as Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Joselu, Spain had an extremely hard time finding the back of the net.
This was a game that personified the general problem of Spain: dominant in possession but never having that cutting edge to finish off the games. Coach Luis de la Fuente will be frustrated by an inability to break down the Serbia defenses, especially considering how much they created. A combination of poor clinical finishing and some defensive resolute from Serbia means Spain leaves the pitch with only a point to show for their efforts.
Serbia’s Defensive Masterclass
This indeed was a well-deserved point for Serbia, where high discipline at the back truly paid off. For all their dominance of the game in possession, Spain just could not break this compact, organized Serbian defense into areas of danger. Rajković, the Serbian goalkeeper, was responsible with saves on many important occasions to keep the scoreline level.
Given the fact that Serbia came for the game with a counter-attack policy, this was not a game where a lot of chances could be expected, but frustrating Spain for a draw has been a decent outcome. For Coach Dragan Stojković, however, this may be deemed enough based on an objective view that his team put on a good defense, which overshadowed their limited attacking play.
Conclusion: A Stalemate but a Point for Both Teams
Eventually, the former’s resistance and the latter’s profligacy in front of the goal saw a stalemate of 0-0. While Spain will bemoan chances that got away, Serbia has every right to be proud of the sound defensive performance that earned them a valuable point in the UEFA Nations League.
With both teams looking on to the next fixtures, Spain need to work on finishing if they are to advance in this tournament, while Serbia try building on this sterling defensive display. For now, it will be remembered as one tough stalemate where both teams left the pitch thinking they could have done something more to win it.
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