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Spain progressed through to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020 after prevailing over Switzerland on penalties. La Roja dominated the game from the first whistle, enjoying lengthy spells of possession.
However, they didn't have any meaningful efforts on goal. Then, a Jordi Alba strike from outside the box took a wicked deflection off Denis Zakaria and ended up in the back of the net.
Spain continued to dominate in the second half, but could not find another goal to add security to their existing lead. This proved costly as Xherdan Shaqiri provided the finishing touch on a Swiss counter-attack to level things up.
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Minutes later, Remo Freuler was given his marching orders with a straight red card, but 10-men Switzerland continued to frustrate the Spaniards. There was nothing to separate the two sides after 90+plus minutes of football, but ultimately Spain triumphed in the penalty shootout.
Here are five talking points from Friday's match between Spain and Switzerland.
#5 Lack of cutting edge haunts Spain
Despite having over 70% of the ball over the course of the match, Spain's lack of an X-factor in the final third proved costly. It was not for a lack of trying, as the Spaniards attempted more shots at the Swiss goal in the first half of extra-time than their opponents did all game.
However, with the Swiss defense tightly packed in their own box, Spain were left frustrated by their own lack of innovative ideas to score. Even when the chances did fall to their forwards, they failed to make clean contact with the football or were wayward with their accuracy at goal.
One might question Enrique's decision not to bring Thiago Alcantara on until deep into extra time. While the Spaniards did overload the opposition penalty area with their forwards, there was no one to create a clear-cut opportunity. This was akin to Spain's performance against Sweden in the group stages.
#4 Yann Sommer has a field day to keep Spain at bay
Yann Sommer has been representing his nation for nearly a decade now. During this time, he has single-handedly won his country a number of matches courtesy of his stunning shot-stopping ability. Sommer's heroics on Friday evening were right up there with his best performances, as he saved just about everything Spain threw at his goal.
After Switzerland were reduced to ten men, Spain turned on the heat and fired shot after shot at Sommer's goal. The Borussia Moenchengladbach man was unfazed as he flew to his left, right, and center to thwart away Spanish attempts to find the back of his net. Although he couldn't lead his team to a win, there was little wrong with his performance on the night.
#3 Spain break penalties curse
Spain had missed five penalties in a row heading into this match, so it was natural that the Spanish camp wanted to avoid a penalty shootout at all costs. They pushed really hard for a winner in extra time. However, when one wasn't to be found, their worst fears appeared to be coming true.
After their first penalty taker - Sergio Busquets - had his effort rejected by the goalpost, Spain would have felt that their troubles from the penalty spot were going to continue.
However, thanks to some confidently taken penalties thereafter, barring one from Rodri, Spain did just about enough to prevail at the end of the day. They also had Unai Simon to thank for some really sharp saves.
#2 Ricardo Rodriguez puts in a performance to remember
Not long ago, Ricardo Rodriguez was regarded as one of the most exciting young full-backs in world football. While his career may not have panned out as once anticipated, he reminded the world of his qualities once again on Friday evening.
Playing against a lethal Spanish attack that has scored ten goals in its last two games, Rodriguez did not put a foot wrong throughout the 120 minutes of football.
He matched Ferran Torres' rapid movement excellently, and on the rare occasion that the Manchester City winger did get the better of him, Rodriguez's immaculate tackling saved the day. His positioning was also spot-on for most of the match as he made numerous blocks to deny the Spanish forwards from promising situations.
#1 Unai Simon bounces back in style
It was arguably the lowest point in Unai Simon's football career when he made a complete meal of a simple back-pass in his last appearance for Spain. His mistake gifted opponents Croatia a goal out of nothing.
Thankfully for Simon, it did not cost his team the match. However, it was clear he wanted to make amends at the earliest. He did just that against Switzerland - and how!
Not only did he command the backline to near perfection, Simon's distribution was also top-notch. It certainly helped Spain build-up play from the back. The 24-year-old completed 95% of his passes. Most importantly, Simon saved a couple of crucial penalties in the shootout to win his country the match. He was deservedly named the Man of the Match.
