Spain staying grounded as Portugal loom large

Nobody in Madrid was getting too carried away after Xabi Alonso’s double strike saw Spain beat France 2-0 in Donetsk.

Alonso’s 19th minute header put La Roja in control, but they did not seal a semi-final spot until the Real Madrid midfielder converted an injury-time penalty.

Writing in Madrid sports daily AS, Juanma Trueba said that a fearful France had been easy prey, but Spain had for some reason not wanted to go for the kill.

“Maybe it is an aversion to blood,” wondered Trueba. “Or solidarity with the fallen. Or maybe our gallantry finds it bad taste to attack someone who will not attack us. It could well be that we find ourselves with a group of prodigious children who keep looking for new ways not to bore themselves.”

Marca’s match report was more positive, saying that Spain’s restrained style — coach Vicente Del Bosque again started without a traditional centre-forward and his team had only one shot on target in the second half — lulled opponents into a false sense of security.

“As France did not attack, they (Spain) decided to keep the ball for astonishing periods of time,” wrote Santiago Segurola. “It is true that they hardly ever arrived in the penalty area, but in these circumstances they are a clinical team. Their football tricks you. It seems nothing is happening until one midfielder senses a weakness and destroys the opposition defence.”

Ramon Besa, of El País, argued Spain’s packed midfield was lessening the influence of playmaker Xavi, leading to sterile sideways passes.

“Xavi needs wingers or runners coming from deep to be able to play his penetrating passes,” wrote Besa. “When Villa, Torres, Pedro or Navas are not there, their football is flatter, if not irrelevant.”

Spain’s players were also in restrained mood after the game.

“It was one more small step towards achieving our objective,” said captain Iker Casillas.

Wednesday’s clash with neighbours Portugal — and in particular Casillas’s club-mate and Madrid media icon, Cristiano Ronaldo — will likely lift the excitement levels in the Spanish capital in the coming days.