Izuchukwu Okosi
Former world champions Spain fell to their first home loss since 2018 as Switzerland dealt a blow to their bid to qualify for next year’s Nations League finals.
The setback meant Luis Enrique’s side was replaced at the top of Group A2 by Portugal, who they will meet in their winner-takes-all final group match on Tuesday.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEric Garcia’s own-goal, three minutes after Jordi Alba levelled for Spain in the second half, decided the game.
Manchester City’s defender Manuel Akanji who has a Nigerian father and Swiss mother scored a 21st-minute bullet header to put his team ahead in Zaragoza.
The defeat is La Roja’s first home defeat in 22 matches across all competitions since losing 3-2 to England in the Nations League in October 2018.
That stood as their only loss in their past 56 competitive home matches, with defeat by Switzerland only their second defeat on home soil since 2003.
The permutations means a Spain victory on Saturday accompanied by defeat for Portugal against the Czech Republic would have sealed top spot for the 2021 runners-up.
However, Spain will now head into their final game two points behind Portugal and requiring all three points to progress.
Switzerland, who picked up their first win against Portugal last time out in June, moved off the bottom of the group after another impressive victory.
Garcia’s own-goal, forced as Breel Embolo attacked a second ball at a corner which the VAR had to verify, saw them leapfrog final opponents the Czech Republic as they bid to avoid relegation.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
