Now, with two goals under his belt, Morata’s place is the team is firmly assured, with the fact that he was the first choice for Spanish national television’s post-match interview showing the esteem in which he is now held after doing the thing which all strikers, however good their general play might be, simply must do: scoring.
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After struggling to find space in their game against the Czechs, they carved Turkey open nearly at will and now need only a point against second-placed Croatia on Tuesday to secure first place in Group D.
The Celta Vigo player scored five goals in his last five appearances for Spain and produced a tireless effort to help his country earn all three points.
Nolito created the goal by cutting in off the left wing before curling the ball into the box with his right foot for Morata, who used the pace of the ball to steer it past Babacan with a deft header.
Spain would grab a third right after the restart – Andres Iniesta’s delightful through pass picks out Jordi Alba and he unselfishly squares the ball for Morata to slot home from four yards.
Morata scored a pair of good centre-forward’s goals against Turkey in Nice. We prefer to play in the opponent’s half. And with the defense and the midfield already in great form, more than ever Spain is seen as one of the favorites. “We’ve played a great game against a very tough team and now to win the next match”.
In one sweeping crescendo of a high-intensity updated version of Tiki-Taka (which includes precise long balls), Spain blew Turkey and its numerous critics apart.
It felt like Spain’s class would click sooner or later, and when it did, a chasm opened up between the two sides.
A brace from Alvaro Morata and a strike from Nolito sealed the win for the defending champions led by Vicente del Bosque. The Turks failed to register a single shot on target.
Nolito scores Spain’s second goal at the Allianz Riviera stadium.
“After the World Cup, it was disappointing for everyone – for the players, for the fans, for the whole country”, he said.
This was inarguably the most dominant performance by a team in the tournament so far which showed the gulf that existed between Spain and their opponents. Somewhat disappointingly, they made a decision to vent their frustration in the direction of skipper Arda Turan, whose every touch was greeted by a chorus of boos in the second half. But he was sharply critical of the team himself.
“Obviously it made an impact on our team”, Terim said. I will never accept it.
Spain had racked up a very Spain-typical 1-0 win in their first match and were looking to seize control of Group D and assure progression into the next round. Spain also hasn’t conceded a goal in the European tournament since its opener in 2012, a 1-1 draw against Italy.
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Del Bosque applauded his side as they cantered past the winning post, as Turkey offered nothing in way of resistance in Nice.
