Having strode so majestically out of their second group game, that 3-0 win over Turkey last Friday, Spain now go somewhat nervously into next Monday''s last-16 meeting with Italy with concerns over their goalkeeper and their ability to score penalties the biggest concerns.
David de Gea''s failure to keep out Croatia''s 87th-minute winner at his near post in the Stade de Bordeaux -and the earlier missed penalty from Sergio Ramos -have been seen as the two reasons why the holders strayed from their easy passage towards the final and are now in the dark side of the draw for the latter stages.
De Gea has been criticized more for off the field events than things that have happened on it so far with several candidates in Sunday''s general election in Spain questioning his place in the national team when he has been implicated in an ongoing investigation into an under-age prostitution ring, but after the defeat to Croatia commentators were questioning his performance and there were even murmurs from some Spain journalists about a recall for Iker Casillas against Italy.
'We are not taking the best route to the final but you never know where the danger lies,' was Vicente del Bosque's take on Spain''s first defeat at a Euros since 2004. On De Gea, the coach said: 'He didn't have a lot to do and we can't blame him for the goals.' Spain forward Nolito added: 'Well the first goal is a good goal, the second goal takes a deflection off of Gerard Pique and that is why he didn't stop it. So I'm not sure you can really say he suffered.' Spain must now beat Italy and then potentially Germany and France or England to reach the final and such close encounters mean penalties probably loom large on the horizon for the holders, which does not bode well after Ramos'' miss.
'I was going to take the penalty but Sergio said he wanted it,' Andres Iniesta said. His tone in the mixed zone of the Stade de Bordeaux had not been accusatory but Ramos has form for missing important spot-kicks and much like his team-mates he is not the designated taker with his club.
Nolito, David Silva, Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas will be Spain''s other spot-kick volunteers but none do the job on a regular basis for their clubs.
David Villa missed Spain''s first ever penalty in 2008 under Del Bosque and in total 13 of the 30 taken with him as manager have been missed.
The good news for Spain is they have twice won on spot-kicks since he has been in charge, beating Portugal at Euro 2012 and Italy in the Confederations Cup a year later.
Faced with the prospect of taking on Italy again. Nolito said: 'The dressing room is very down after the defeat and we now have a potentially more difficult game on Monday but we are still Spain and we have to remember that. Italy will have respect for us too. But we know we will have to be at our best. they have a good team and one of the best defences in the tournament but we will be ready.' Those sentiments were repeated by Iniesta: 'That is what football does to you. It looked as though we were getting a draw which would have been enough to top the group and things didn't work out.
'We are in the supposedly harder half of the draw but we are Spain and we have to keep believing in ourselves. We just went looking for a goal at the end and they caught us on the break. It shouldn't have happened but it did happen. We had the chance with the penalty and a couple of other chances. And if you don't take those then you can suffer. It's not nice when you lose but it is not as if we have been knocked out and there is no way back. The aim is still to go as far as possible.' Croatia now also have the luxury of imagining themselves in the latter stages and it seemed of some consolation to Del Bosque that his team were beaten on Tuesday by a side he rated highly before the tournament. ''They are still very serious candidates'' he said after the game. – The Independent