Dani Carvajal has disclosed the method by which Spain successfully subdued Erling Haaland during their victory over Norway, securing their qualification for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany.
Spain’s path to the finals was secured with an early second-half goal by Gavi.
Throughout the match, the visitors maintained a relatively secure hold on proceedings, with Norway, led by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, finding it challenging to generate scoring opportunities.
“We came here to win; we played a complete game,” Carvajal told Teledeporte. “They hardly gave us any chances and we are going home happy and with our ticket to the Euro.”
On keeping Haaland quiet, he added, “Defensively, from Unai [Simon] to Alvaro [Morata], we have been very compact; we have not allowed him to receive any comfortable ball. Praise the work of the centre-backs because they have done a fantastic job.”
Spain can take satisfaction in their comfortable qualification from a challenging group, despite the initial setback in Glasgow. Meanwhile, Norway’s promising generation of players must patiently await other results to determine if they can escape the all-too-familiar route of qualification through the playoffs.
Upon his return to Madrid, the right-back will find little time to settle in, as a demanding schedule awaits with three away fixtures against Sevilla, Braga, and Barcelona.