Spain’s under-21 team, led by Santi Denia, opened with a confident display as a proud home side in the early stages. The Girona forward patrolled the pitch with intent, orchestrating the comeback after entering a game where La Rojita trailed 1-2 to Switzerland, who pressed fiercely. Valencian midfielder Nico González started in the middle of the park, gradually picking up the tempo and distributing balls with increasing rhythm.
bad start
The opening moments did not go as Denia would have wished. Switzerland unsettled Spain with Ndoye’s mobility between lines, pressing hard from the left and catching the hosts off guard in an unusually cold start for the Spanish side.
Ndoye struck again about five minutes later, and three minutes after that Sohm added a classy touch, letting the Swiss push forward with confidence. Patrick Ramén’s outfit looked capable of more damage, and Spain failed to find their footing until around the 20th minute, when Sergio Gómez sent a rising cross into the area to try and spark a response.
Rodri Sánchez was briefly nicknamed in social feeds as a sparkPlug during the match, while the team pressed to reassemble their lines. A sense of urgency grew as the clock passed the halfway point of the half, and Teledeporte’s coverage captured the concerted effort to regain control.
– Teledeporte, March 24, 2023
Little red reacts and a great goal for the draw
Gradually, Baena and Rodri began to influence the field, altering the landscape of the game. In the 32nd minute, captain Abel Ruiz sent a header narrowly wide, and moments later Baena delivered a cross that tested the Swiss goalkeeper Keller with a firm, clean strike. The momentum shifted as Spain asserted themselves higher up the pitch, forcing Keller into a second decisive stop in quick succession.
Right before the halftime whistle, a spectacular equalizer seemed within reach. Rodri collected the ball near the opponent’s halfway line, shaped for a shot with his left foot, and fired a curling effort that flashed just over the top corner. Switzerland almost seized the advantage again as Imeri slipped past a hesitant defense, but Agirrezabala adjusted rapidly to keep Spain level going into the break.
Craft, distribute and strike! That was the chant echoing through the stadium as Rodrigo Riquelme stepped onto the field, instantly offering a different dynamic to the Spain attack. The game clock showed ten minutes remaining before the whistle and the excitement in the stands grew with every touch.
– Teledeporte, March 24, 2023
Switzerland takes the lead again
The second half began with little change to the pattern. Abel Ruiz again took an active role for Spain, and the host side crept back into a position of control, pressing higher and forcing Switzerland into more defensive work. Yet Imeri and the Swiss continued to threaten with counterattacks, and at one moment Miranda conceded an unforced error that allowed Imeri to slip in for a 1-2, with Julen sprawling to cover as the ball slipped past him and into the net.
Denia made changes to refresh the energy. The introduction of Camello and Riquelme — two forwards with direct style and speed — added a new dimension up front. Camello’s movement provided a fresh outlet while Riquelme carried the ball with intent on the left flank, though his first touch of note was a partial shot that failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Riquelme’s competitive hunger surfaced again as he pushed forward, and a renewed Spain effort soon paid dividends. The crowd witnessed a quick, decisive passing sequence: two touches for a swift finish in which Riquelme found the back of the net with style as Camello offered an excellent assist, lifting the atmosphere and giving the scoreboard an optimistic tilt before the final minutes.
Two goals and two touches later, Riquelme completed a memorable moment by aligning a late chance with Camello, driving the ball towards overtime territory. The atmosphere suggested the game might tilt one more time in favor of Spain as both sides prepared for what felt like an extra-time contest in the closing stages.
Spain’s late surge continued as the match opened up with more space on the flanks. A final push bore fruit when Riquelme struck again in a remarkable demonstration of timing and positioning — a decisive late goal that doubled the home side’s lead and kept alive their hopes of victory. The power of the moment resonated through the stands as Spain seized a dramatic 3-2 edge in the closing stages of regulation time.
With the clock winding down, the Swiss launched one last attempt to equalize, but the Spanish defense held firm. The whistle signaled a hard-earned victory that came from a combination of resilience, tactical adjustments, and the late brilliance of Riquelme and Camello on the attack. Spain celebrated a win that reinforced their character and set the tone for the remainder of the European Under-21 Championship campaign.
Two players, Riquelme and Camello, emerged as the catalysts for the late turnaround, guiding Spain toward a comeback that showcased their depth and capability to flip the script in high-stakes moments. The narrative of the match would be remembered for its twists, the renewal of belief after a rocky start, and the relentless pursuit of a result that reflected the young Spanish side’s fighting spirit.
Data sheet:
3 – Spain: Agirrezabala; Víctor Gómez (Arnau Martínez, m.75), Guillamón (Mario Gila, m.66), Pacheco (Paredes, m.87), Miranda (Manu Sánchez, m.87); Nico González (Antonio Blanco, m.66), Oihan Sancet (Aimar Oroz, m.75); Sergio Gómez (Rodrigo Riquelme, m.66), Baena (Camello, m.75), Rodri Sánchez (Barrenetxea, m.88); Abel Ruiz (Pablo Barrios, art.87).
2 – Switzerland: Keller; Omeragic, Stergiou, Vouilloz, Blum; Sohm (Von Moos, art.80), Jashari, Males (Di Giusto, art.80); Ndoye (Beloko, m.80), Imeri (Krasniqi, m.85) and Stojilkovic (Hajdari, m.85)
Goals: 0-1, min.7: Ndoye. 1-1, min 44: Rodri Sánchez. 1-2, min.63: Imeri, penalty. 2-2, min.76: Rodrigo Riquelme. 3-2, min 81: Rodrigo Riquelme.
Judge: Jeremy Pignard (France). He warned Miranda (m.62), Oihan Sancet (m.70) from Spain and Imeri (m.70) from Switzerland.
events: European Under-21 Championship friendly match to be held in Georgia and Romania from 21 June to 8 July; and played in front of nearly 13,000 spectators at the Power House stadium in Almería, where both teams qualified.