Proud display by the Albanians in their first European championships
“Many people claimed they would put four past us in the first game, five in the second, and we wouldn’t show up for the third,” Sylvinho had said, but Albania did show up: in the stands and on the pitch, as they have done throughout their time here. They had come to enjoy this and they had come to compete too. And so they did: going at Spain , this competition’s most impressive team, giving everything and getting beaten, yes, but by no more than more illustrious footballing nations.
Already through as group winners, concerned above all with opportunity and rest, Aymeric Laporte was the only member of Spain’s initial line-up to have started a game. Between them, the 11 had played just 250 minutes. David Raya, officially still on loan at Arsenal, was among those getting his first, meaning that there were two Brentford goalkeepers out there.
Olmo was enjoying this, taking control, always seeming to find the right space. So too were Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi behind him and the full-backs. Jesús Navas and Álex Grimaldo may not have the aggressiveness, the edge, that little hint of nasty that Dani Carvajal and Marc Cucurella do but boy can they deliver. Navas, at 38, just keeps on running.
On the left Grimaldo was getting ever more involved, sought out often and early and you could see why. The quality of his delivery was deeply impressive, even if Berat Djimsiti and Arlind Ajeti were doing a decent job of minding Joselu. From one lovely, high, curling ball in, Ferran probably should have scored a second but headed over. From another, this time pulled back across the floor, Merino certainly should have, but his sliced shot flew over.
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