Spain heads to its first Games after a victory

Nine days after making their debut in the first Olympic Games in their history, the women’s team found their feet this afternoon with a victory against Belgium at Riazor in a Euro 2025 qualifier. Aitana Bonmatí, the Ballon d’Or winner, and Tere Abelleira, a former Deportivo player and local idol, woke up a team that was comfortable in the opponent’s half, but lacked the pace and spark to disrupt the Belgian lines in a more continuous manner. La Roja controlled the ball and had control, but were unable to overwhelm the opponent’s goal as they had done just three months ago in Brussels, when they scored 0-7. The team led by Montse Tomé was helped by a great move by Aitana in the first half to open the scoring and a stroke of genius by the Galician midfielder in the second to close it. Abelleira received the ball in the centre of the field, raised her head, saw Lichtfus ahead and nailed the ball into the goal from her home with a formidable strike.

Bonmatí woke up a team that arrived in Galician lands with a strange feeling after losing its first match in seven months last Friday against the Czech Republic. The defeat away from home, without any kind of repercussion in the qualification for the Euro because the ticket had already been obtained in June, left a bad feeling in terms of sport before the Paris game. In France, Spain will face Brazil, Nigeria and Japan in the group stage, the team that scored four goals against it in the group stage of the World Cup won last summer in Sydney. Yesterday’s match against Belgium was the last test to land in the Games with a full tank of confidence.

Spain, however, took a nap against a team that was boxed in on its own half and did not worry Cata Coll in the slightest. The Barcelona goalkeeper only needed to save a corner in the first half, but it was a placid game as her teammates tried to unravel the Belgian defensive tangle. La Roja worked in fits and starts, lacking the continuity in play that embarrassed their rivals in the first leg. The first was scored by Lucía García. The Manchester United forward unleashed a cross shot after receiving a good through ball from Alexia Putellas. Lichtfus stretched out her left foot and touched the leather with her studs just enough to send it out for a corner. An instant later, the Belgian goalkeeper saved a header from Athenea del Castillo. Athenea, who also hit the crossbar just before the break, shot hard and low, but the goalkeeper dove in and prevented the former Deportivo player from scoring.

The third shot was Aitana’s goal. The midfielder from Sant Pere de Ribas, who had scored twice in the same stadium against Azerbaijan five years ago in the only previous game for La Roja in A Coruña, saw how Laia Aleixandri drove from the centre of defence and passed the ball deep to Olga Carmona on the left wing. Aitana began to sprint and, by the time the Real Madrid full-back put in the cross, she had already slipped between the two centre-backs and gained enough space to throw herself to the ground and push the ball in with her right foot.

The team, with Patri Guijarro in the starting line-up for the first time since her return, continued with its pecking and intermittent play during the second half until Tere Abelleira, much loved in the city, signed her work of art. Spain, the world champion, has nine days left to get ready for its first Games.

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