“It was a five-star efficiency,” former Wales defender Danny Gabbidon informed BBC Radio 5 Reside. “5 targets. Clear sheet. A distinct number of targets as properly. It is precisely the way you wish to begin the match.
“We have spoken about it coming into this – Spain are the favourites and rightly so. They have not received this competitors but so the strain is on them to carry out – and boy, did they carry out, notably in that first half.”
But Spain have often proven since beating England in Sydney to raise the World Cup that they are often obtained at.
They suffered a shock loss to the Czech Republic in qualifying, whereas they had been defeated by England within the Nations League.
At the newest main match, the 2024 Olympics, Spain did not win a medal following defeats by Brazil and Germany.
There are nonetheless some query marks concerning the capability of their first feminine supervisor, Montse Tome, for whom this can be a maiden senior position.
And far more durable assessments will come. This Portugal aspect who, scarred by latest heavy losses to Spain and the dreadful information from Zamora on Thursday morning, had been outclassed.
“I personally suppose Portugal made it simple for Spain,” former Spain worldwide Vicky Losada informed ITV. “If you wish to do one thing within the Euros you’ve got to compete.”
Historical past doesn’t point out a procession for Spain. They’ve by no means received the Euros – certainly, the final time they went past the quarter-finals was in 1997. They’ve gone out within the final eight of the earlier three continental tournaments.
But when Spain do win Euro 2025, they are going to be solely the second girls’s crew in historical past to win consecutive World Cup and European tournaments after Germany received 5 in a row between 2001 and 2009.
Given the depth and youth of this Spanish aspect, comparable dominance shouldn’t be dominated out. And this massively spectacular first half may very well be step one.
Favourites? Unquestionably.
