Two out of three. That was the balance of ownership in the Spanish team in its debut in the European Championship as far as Athletic players are concerned. Yes ok Dani Vivian ran out of minutes against Croatia, Unai Simón and Nico Williams started from the start in a match with a leading role for the goalkeeper. The man from Murgiarra, who renewed his contract as a lion on May 24 until 2029 without a termination clause, added a new clean sheet to his collection with scare and vindication in between. The winner of the Zamora trophy of the 2023-24 league with only 33 goals conceded in 36 games once again demonstrated his ability to recover from adversity after making a mistake when releasing the ball that led to a penalty committed by Rodri on Petkovic in the 76th minute.
With the score 3-0 from the 47th minute of the first half and after making three worthy saves during the match, Simón found himself in an uncomfortable situation which reminded more than one of what happened against the same rival in the round of 16 of the Euro 2020, played in 2021. Then, with the score 0-0, Murgia’s player failed to control a transfer from Pedri in the minute 20 which meant the first goal of the match for Croatia. The ball touched Simón’s boot, but it was insufficient to prevent the ball from gently passing the goal line. The Athletic goalkeeper recovered to put in a remarkable individual performance that allowed the Spanish team to advance to the quarterfinals, which three years later once again beat Croatia this Saturday in another exercise in vindication of Simón.
Far from bowing his head after his mistake in releasing the ball, Murgia’s He grew his figure at the Berlin Olympics by stopping Petkovic’s penalty moments later. with an arrogant pride. The Dinamo Zagreb player scored after being assisted by Perisic on the rebound, but the English referee Michael Oliver annulled the goal given that Perisic had entered the area early. He celebrated his success with restraint Simon, who became the first goalkeeper to save a maximum penalty with Spain in the entire history of the Euro Cup, except for penalty shootouts. Not only that. The Athletic goalkeeper also became the first goalkeeper of the Spanish team to save a penalty since Iker Casillas saved the Paraguayan Cardozo in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, including friendly matches.
This season, to make matters worse, Simon He has faced seven penalties against him in official competitions and has only conceded two goals by managing to stop four maximum penalties and seeing another shot crash against the post. With three penalties also saved in the Euro Cup shoot-outs, the Murgian player managed to provide his goal in Berlin to add 17 clean sheets with Spain in 36 official matches, in which he has conceded 26 goals. “Simón has made very good and very important saves,” stressed the Croatian striker Ante Budimir after his team’s defeat in a match in which Simón equaled the seven games played in the tournament by another former red and white player like Andoni Zubizarreta.
Nico, discreet
Nico Williams, for his part, debuted in a Euro Cup with a discreet performance. Replaced in the 67th minute by Mikel Merino, the red and white winger left good details, but failed to shine in a match in which it was the other wide player, Lamine Yamal, who monopolized all the spotlights. Both Simón and Nico Williams, with Vivian in the bedroom waiting for an opportunity, have the total confidence of coach Luis de la Fuente, who assured at a press conference that “I would have given two MVPs, to Fabián and Simón, who He has played a great game. He has made a mistake, but we don’t give it importance. For us he is a reference.”
