Ferran Torres’ first-half goal gives Spain victory over Albania | Euro 2024

“Many people said they would score four goals against us in the first game, five in the second and we wouldn’t show up in the third,” Sylvinho had said, but Albania showed up: in the stands and on the pitch, as they have done throughout their time here. They enjoyed it and wanted to compete. And they did: they faced Spain, the most impressive team in this competition, gave everything and were beaten, but only by more glorious footballing nations. A single goal from Ferran Torres was the trigger.

Reaching the second round was impossible for Albania, but they knew that all along. They knew it when they were put in a group with Italy, Croatia and Spain, and they knew it when they arrived in Düsseldorf. The fact that Spain had progressed might have offered a glimmer of hope, but Sylvinho had said that even the Selección’s B team could reach the final and still be favourites. But they came and played.

Aymeric Laporte, already through as group winners and looking to create chances and keep his composure above all else, was the only player in the Spanish starting XI to start a match. Between them, the XI had played just 250 minutes. David Raya, still officially on loan at Arsenal, was one of those to make his first appearance, meaning two Brentford goalkeepers were on the field. At the other end, Thomas Strakosha completed the Albanian starting XI, which consists of players who play in England, Spain, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Italy, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

With players from nine different countries, Albania has the most international team here. The team is also very brave: against Italy they scored after just 23 seconds, against Croatia they scored late, and here they relied on Spain.

For a brief moment they attacked their fans, smoke rising to the ceiling, and seemed determined not to let Spain go. The problem was that it was only a brief moment, and almost as soon as Spain went out, it was decisive. Dani Olmo’s clever pass released Torres, who came from the right, fired the ball past Strakosha, and that, it seemed, was that.

Olmo enjoyed the game, took control and always seemed to find the right place. The same was true of Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi behind him and the full-backs. Jesús Navas and Álex Grimaldo may not be as aggressive, snappy and have the slightest hint of malice as Dani Carvajal and Marc Cucurella, but they deliver. Navas, 38, just keeps running. He had already delivered a wonderful cross in front of goal that Merino could have scored from, but Strakosha saved his header. Almost immediately, Joselu headed another long ball over the bar.

Albania showed some brilliance and had good moments with the ball, but they were few and far between. There was also a brief moment of foolishness when Raya fired the ball into Laporte’s face, but Spain had now taken control. And then, just before half-time, their best moment came when Raya had to dive to stop Kristjan Asllani’s beautiful shot from the edge of the box. Spain dominated, however, which gave comfort and confidence to the whole thing.

On the left, Grimaldo became more and more involved, sought out often and early, and you could see why. The quality of his passing was deeply impressive, although Berat Djimsiti and Arlind Ajeti kept a close eye on Joselu. After a lovely, high, curved ball, Ferran probably should have scored a second goal, but headed over. After another ball, this time pulled back across the field, Merino certainly should have done so, but his deflected shot flew over.

He scored another goal right at the start of the second half. This time Joselu scored with an acrobatic volley that had a touch of Zlatan in it and flew just wide of the post. That would have been a great goal; what followed would have been even better: after a blocked shot from Asllani, Olmo suddenly stormed from deep straight through the middle and tried to score from the centre circle, although he saw the goalkeeper just in front of his goal but never really took off.

Albania refused to give up and there was a huge roar when Armando Broja came on. It wasn’t long before he almost scored either. Spain had switched off, were surprised by Asllani’s quick free kick and suddenly Broja was alone in front of Raya. The ball was up and he hit it well enough but Raya made a superb save. A minute later Asllani’s shot was blocked and the noise rose again. And then Robin Le Normand took Broja off as he threatened to storm through.

Not long after, Asllani fired a lame shot just wide of the far post. Time was running out for them and they needed two goals to have any chance of progressing, but they kept roaring and running to achieve something other than just a place in the next round. Until the last minute, when Broja had to parry another shot from Raya in the melee. The task was too big, but they had known that from the start and they defied reality to the end, leaving early but loud and proud.