"This is bad!"
At the Spanish coaching bench, the veteran coach Aragonés bit his nails, his face tense and grave.
From the very start of the match, Croatia's high pressing had completely disrupted Spain's possession style.
Spain's attack was based on ground passing and gradual buildup.
This required coordination between midfield and attack, even stability from deep defense.
Because of this, when facing high pressing, they looked even weaker.
At the same time, Spain also pressed high — immediately counter-pressing after losing possession.
But Croatia's offensive style was a swift counterattack.
Modrić's precise long passes maximized Šuker's striking power.
Meanwhile, Rakitić, Kranjčar, and even the full-backs all provided support and momentum to Šuker's attacks.
Croatia's simple and brutal counterattack tactics left Spain's defense in disarray.
A forward as threatening as Šuker, paired with this counterattack system, was a deadly weapon against Spain's backline.
Given the situation, Aragonés could only pray that Casillas could save this penalty.
"Šuker will take the penalty."
Šuker placed the ball on the penalty spot and stepped back to take a running start.
Šuker's penalty conversion rate was as high as 90% — could Casillas withstand the pressure and stop this shot?
The Spanish commentator's heart was pounding.
If this penalty was missed, Spain would truly have one foot off a cliff.
Tens of thousands of fans fixed their eyes on the spot.
Šuker took a deep breath, calming himself.
Around him, the noise was overwhelming.
Cheers and boos intertwined.
One could only imagine how immense the pressure was on both Croatian and Spanish fans.
Croatian supporters bowed their heads, hands tightly clasped in prayer.
Spanish fans covered their eyes, unwilling to witness the harsh scene.
The atmosphere in the stadium seemed frozen.
Then suddenly — the sharp whistle cut through the silence.
Šuker started his run-up decisively.
"Šuker is running up!"
Kraushvić clenched his fists tightly.
Davor Šuker felt his heart was about to burst from his throat.
Van Stoyak knelt in front of the coaching bench.
To them, Šuker's movement seemed in slow motion.
His body stretched out like a great eagle spreading its wings, tilting slightly to the right.
Šuker was shooting with his left foot, which gave the impression he would aim for the left side of the goal.
Casillas was conflicted inside.
Statistically, Šuker tended to shoot to the right side more often.
But in the end, Casillas decided to trust his instincts.
He dove sharply to the left side of the goal.
But at that moment, Casillas saw Šuker gently scoop the ball with his foot.
The ball arced and dropped right into the middle of the goal.
"Panenka! Panenka!"
As the ball sank into the net, Šuker spun around and sprinted toward the corner flag.
The tens of thousands of Croatian fans went wild.
They screamed in excitement.
"Panenka! At the crucial moment, Šuker performed the most spectacular Panenka! Casillas was completely fooled!!"
"Šuker scores a perfect penalty, Croatia's second goal!!"
"41st minute, Croatia leads Spain 2-0!!"
Kraushvić shouted with excitement:
"This is the closest we've ever been to the Euro final!"
Šuker's goal made the stadium erupt once again.
Even the media couldn't believe their eyes as Croatia scored two consecutive goals against Spain.
For Croatia, their second goal gave them a huge advantage.
"How awesome is that?"
"Awesome!"
"Who's awesome?"
"Šuker!!"
Šuker was surrounded by teammates, howling in excitement.
At this moment, Šuker was ecstatic.
No matter if it was the Spanish Dynasty or the Matadors,
"If you want to control the game, then control it!"
Second goal. A huge advantage before halftime.
They only needed to hold the lead to have a great chance of winning.
The final!
The Euro final!
Croatia's second goal made the whole stadium lively.
Especially Croatian fans, who didn't even know how to celebrate anymore.
They could only chant Šuker's name again and again.
Spanish players protested to the referee, urging him to hurry up Croatia's celebration.
With 4 minutes left in the first half, they needed to launch a quick counterattack.
In the last four minutes, Spain unleashed their most ferocious continuous attacks.
Iniesta became Spain's sharpest weapon.
When passing couldn't break through, he used dribbling to repeatedly challenge Croatia's defense.
Villa and Torres also gradually gained momentum.
At the 44th minute, facing Iniesta's powerful dribble, Vukojević had no choice but to foul, giving Spain a free kick from the center of the penalty area.
Spain chose a tactical set piece.
They passed the ball to the flank and, taking advantage of Croatia's eagerness to force them out of danger, they made a quick series of passes.
Finally, the ball was delivered to the far post.
Villa struck a curling shot that bypassed Croatian goalkeeper Pletikosa's fingertips and went into the net.
Spain scored back just before halftime!
"Thank God! Thank you, David Villa! We pulled one back at the last moment of the first half, which lets us breathe a long sigh of relief!"
"But the problem remains severe. How will we deal with Croatia's high pressing in the second half? Spain's coaching staff must plan well. If the pace stays the same as the first half, it will be very unfavorable to us."
Halftime – Spanish locker room
"In the second half, Xavi's positioning should be deeper. You need to drop back more frequently to help build from the back. Your role will focus more on bringing the ball out from the defense. When Xavi drops back, others must keep moving, always looking for space. No one can slack off. If anyone slacks off, we won't be able to create openings!"
The veteran coach Aragonés said sternly.
The first half proved that relying solely on Senna to clear the ball wasn't enough.
Hence, he had to put heavy responsibility on Xavi.
He trusted Xavi's ability to handle it well.
Meanwhile, in the Croatian locker room
Van Stoyak was flipping through notes.
"The second half is even more crucial. Even though we lead by one goal now, we mustn't relax at all. Especially after the 70th minute, when fatigue inevitably impacts our high pressing. We can't stay in a constant high press; we must choose pressing moments wisely!"
"Also, invest more effort in defense. We can't guarantee Spain won't find ways to respond. The goal conceded in the first half showed Spain can still threaten us. After continuous high pressing, fatigue will hit, and Spain will launch their fiercest attacks."
"Vukojević, you already have a yellow card. Be careful with your challenges."
"If necessary, Luka must also commit fouls!"
Van Stoyak methodically arranged the second half tactics.
Though they led by one, facing Spain wasn't a guarantee.
Spain always had the ability to score, and could threaten Croatia's defense.
Meanwhile, Srna was breathing heavily.
His stamina had been drained greatly by the match.
According to Croatia's tactics, as a full-back, he needed to shuttle up and down the flank frequently.
Throughout the first half, he had no idea how many times he sprinted from his own goal line to the opponent's, and back again — again and again.
"How much longer can you hold on?" Van Stoyak asked Srna.
"At most 10 minutes."
Srna didn't dare exaggerate.
If you can't run, you can't run.
Someone needed to substitute.
"Pranjić?" Van Staaij asked another full-back.
"About the same," Pranjić answered.
Van Staaij nodded.
"I understand. Šimić warm up first. Be ready to go on at any moment!"
He said seriously,
"The second half is crucial. The pace can be relatively slower, but we must stay steady!"