Madrid (AFP)

Solid and carried by its young guard, Spain dominated Switzerland on Saturday 1-0 for the third day of the League of Nations, taking the lead in group 4 of League A.

La Roja won on an opportunistic goal from Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal (14th), while the Nati pushed to the end but lacked technical accuracy.

Semi-finalists of the first edition of the League of Nations, the Helvetians are stuck in the last place of the group and risk their place in the continental elite.

Three days after a flat draw against Portugal (0-0) in a friendly, the Spaniards have as often captured the ball without materializing on a placed attack, the main limit spread in recent years.

But they added an aggressive pressing, carried in particular by their attackers, which was enough to punish the Swiss approximations.

In the midst of the construction site, Luis Enrique's team displayed the envy of his newly integrated gems, starting with Ansu Fati (17 years old) and Ferran Torres (20 years old) in front, before Adama's entry all in percussion Traoré in the second half.

The last representatives of the world and European champion generation balanced by their mastery, like Sergio Busquets, while a Sergio Ramos, still so determined, almost scored for his 174th selection match.

- Traoré sets fire to -

The first opportunity was however for the Nati, with an overflow of Widmer for Benito at the far post, which encountered the good reflex of De Gea (11th).

But three minutes later, the Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer took the curious risk of a short recovery and in the axis towards Xhaka, who slipped.

Merino then intercepted before pushing towards Oyarzabal, who opened the scoring (14th, 1-0).

The Spaniards then put the game down and if they lacked the edge to weigh down the mark, they also cut all Swiss transmissions.

The game was again unbridled after the break, but Ferran Torres saw his shot countered (48th) before Ansu Fati came up against twice the solid defense of Elvedi (49th, 50th).

The hour of play confirmed the expectations around Adama Traoré: barely entered for his second cape, the overpowered Wolverhampton striker tried to dynamite the match with his breakthroughs with the ball in his foot, even if it meant locking himself up for lack of lifting the nose.

Conversely, Xherdan Shaqiri hardly stood out for his return to selection after 16 months of absence and tests positive then negative for Covid-19.

Without shining, the Spaniards contained until the end the Swiss attempts, to afford a fifteenth consecutive meeting without defeat.

© 2020 AFP