Spain loses to bottom-ranked Vietnam before Euro opening day

Coach Vicente Del Bosque and his team suffered a surprising 0-1 defeat against Georgia in the final friendly match in preparation for Euro 2016.

Spain received an unhappy result before entering an important tournament. Photo: Reuters.

Entering the field with almost the strongest lineup, Spain still failed to score a goal against Georgia. On the contrary, the visitors played a precise counter-attack and scored the only goal in the 40th minute, thereby winning right on the field of the reigning Euro champions.

The defeat to Georgia could be a psychological blow for Spain ahead of the Euros. Georgia is currently ranked 137th in the FIFA rankings (four places lower than Vietnam), while the team that has won the Euros twice in a row is ranked sixth.

Compared to the recent friendly wins against Bosnia and South Korea, Spain only had three new players in the starting lineup, including De Gea (replacing Casillas), Thiago (Iniesta) and Aduriz (Morata). The starting lineup still included established stars such as Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets.

In fact, Spain could have taken an early lead if they had taken better advantage of their chances. During the first 35 minutes, the reigning Euro champions had no less than three dangerous situations in front of Georgia's goal. Among these, the highlight was Thiago's curling shot that hit the post.

Not having much control of the ball, Georgia only focused on counter-attacks. This style of play, along with a bit of luck, brought the only goal. In the 40th minute, Jordi Alba lost the ball in the middle of the field, creating conditions for the away team to organize a simple counter-attack. After Jigauri crossed the ball inside, Okriashvili took advantage of Sergio Ramos's laxity to score.

Coach Vicente Del Bosque and his colleagues will surely have many concerns. Photo: Reuters.

After conceding the goal, Ramos had no chance to make amends as he was substituted at half-time. Coach Del Bosque also brought on many other players, including Andres Iniesta. However, the Spanish attack still showed no signs of improvement. Nolito missed two scoring opportunities, while Alba's shot was inaccurate after David Silva's cross. Before the referee blew the final whistle, Pique headed wide of the post, ending the match to a surprise for the audience.

Next Monday, Spain will start their Euro finals in Group D, against the Czech Republic.

According to VNE