Liveticker | Albania - Spain

Matchday 3

FINAL

Merkur Spielarena

Spain

13'

TorresFerrán Torres

G. Nyberg

Merkur Spielarena

Full-time: Albania 0-1 Spain

Albania are out of Euro 2024. Despite their best efforts and some excellent play from Kristjan Asllani, Spain easily kept them at arm's length. Luis de la Fuente's side top Group B with three wins from three and zero goals conceded. They may well be many people's favourites to win the whole thing now.

Full-time

90'

+ 2

That was the chance

A free kick goes through bodies and stops dead on the penalty spot. Broja fashions a shooting chance but Raya again reads it brilliantly.

90'

+ 1

Desperation time

Albania are all but out of time here and even appealing for nothing fouls in the box.

90'

Yellow card

Daniel Vivian

89'

Yellow card

Medon Berisha

88'

What a waste

Albania pile everyone forward for a free-kick and the otherwise excellent Asllani sends it over everyone and out of play.

84'

Substitution

Alex Baena

Dani Olmo

83'

What a touch

Wow. Lamine Yamal send to Albanian defenders out the stadium with an outrageous touch on the right hand side and is then unselfish enough to try and supply Morata, but his pass is cut out.

81'

Substitution

Ernest Muci

Jasir Asani

79'

End-to-end now

Spain go right back up the pitch and Olmo sees his shot blocked for a corner.

79'

And another....

Asllani gets another shot away from range, it's deflected and could go anywhere, but it's slowed down too much and is easy for Raya to collect.

77'

Asllani again!

A clever attack ends with Broja finding Asllani who unleashes a wicked striker from range just wide.

74'

Spain all over the ball

Albania can't get a touch of possession right now.

71'

Substitution

Alvaro Morata

Joselu

71'

Substitution

Lamine Yamal

Ferrán Torres

71'

Here comes the record breaker

Spain bring on 16-year-old Lamine Yamal for goalscorer Torres.

70'

Substitution

Arber Hoxha

Nedim Bajrami

70'

Substitution

Medon Berisha

Qazim Laci

67'

First yellow

Bajrami picks up the game's first yellow and he has reason to feel hard done by. The referee says he dives but replays show there's solid contact from Navas.

66'

Yellow card

Nedim Bajrami

65'

Chances flowing now

Asllani has a shot blocked out for a corner and suddenly Albania are having some luck.

Goal attempts

1off target

2on target

9off target

3on target

62'

Chance!

Albania find Broja for the first time and he gets an excellent shot away. Raya is there to stop him but that's very encouraging.

62'

Spain show their depth

Spain make another change, and it's not one of their starters from the previous games, but instead Barcelona youngster Fermin Lopez who replaced Oyarzabal. Now every player in the Spain squad has featured at the tournament.

62'

Substitution

Fermin Lopez

Mikel Oyarzabal

60'

Albania make a change

On comes Armando Broja for Albania. Manaj makes way for the target man.

58'

Substitution

Armando Broja

Rey Manaj

57'

Big goal in Group B!

Croatia could be heading straight into the last 16. Luka Modric has put them a goal up against Italy! If it stays the same there and Albania find a way to win here, defending champions Italy will be out!

54'

As things stand

Just a reminder that Albania have to win this game for a shot at the last 16. A draw is almost certainly not enough now. Spain, meanwhile, would need to lose and Italy win by three against Croatia for them not to top the group.

53'

Another chance fades away

The crowd respond as Albania counter and it ends up with the right man - Asllani - but he can't craft a chance this time as his dinked pass into the box is cleared.

50'

Olmo tries his luck from range!

Spain counter and Olmo spots Strakosha off his line, it was worth a try but in the end his effort was far too tame and wide.

49'

Class from Olmo again

That's lovely from Dani Olmo as he makes his way into the Spain box but can't find Joselu with the pass.

47'

What an effort!

Joselu nearly acrobatically turns in a cross from the left but it's just wide. What a goal that first-time volley would have been.

46'

One change at the break

Aymeric Laporte, the only survivor from the 1-0 win over Italy, makes way for Robin Le Normand at the break.

46'

Back underway

Spain get us restarted in Dusseldorf.

Kick-off!

Half-time: Albania 0-1 Spain

Despite a great start from Albania, Torres silenced them in the 13th minute and they haven't recovered since. Spain should really be three or four goals up, and as things stand Albania are heading out.

45'

+ 1

Substitution

Robin Le Normand

Aymeric Laporte

Half-time

45'

Chance for Albania!

Albania try to get into the Spain box and as it's clear Asllani collects the ball and fires a wicked shot. It almost catches out Raya but the Spain keeper makes a crucial save.

44'

Should've been two!

It's more great work from Grimaldo and Merino has plenty of time to pick a corner, but he sends his finish well over the bar.

43'

Almost for Olmo!

Dani Olmo appears to have caught everyone out with a gorgeous backheel assists but it's cut out in the nick of time.

Grimaldo at work

The Leverkusen man is looking more and more dangerous as the half progresses and he sends another excellent cross into the box.

41'

Great from Grimaldo

Grimaldo fires in a trademark cross from the left and finds Torres in space, the Barca man gets everything behind a header but it's comfortably over the bar.

39'

A shame for Albania

Bajrami is found on the counter and his teammates rush forward to join him. Eventually the midfielder is dispossessed and it's a huge waste.

36'

Almost for Olmo!

Navas creates another chance and finds Olmo, just as he shoots Ajeti is there to clatter into him and block the shot. From the following corner his dinked pass doesn't reach Oyarzabal.

34'

As things stand...

If it stays like this, Albania are heading out of Euro 2024. Italy are currently scoreless against Croatia, lifting the latter side over Albania into third in Group B.

Olmo enjoying himself

The Leipzig man is having some fun out there.

25'

Spain gaining control

Despite Albania's great start, the ball is now all Spain's.

Passes

111

146

21'

Olmo's first shot

Oyarzabal finds Olmo just outside the box and he gets a right-footed effort away but it's wide.

21'

Lovely from Olmo

The ball is pinged into Olmo and he lays it off with a brilliant flick to Joselu but Djimsiti just gets their first.

17'

Asllani the danger man

Another great ball from Asllani finds Laci in the box but he can't make a chance out of it.

16'

Crowd silenced

That's really killed the mood of the Albania fans in Dusseldorf. They'll need to get back behind their team.

1-0 Spain!

That's just brilliant. Leipzig man Olmo is found just outside the box and puts Torres through on goal, he makes no mistake at all as he curls a shot in off the post.

13'

Ferrán Torres

GOAL!

0:1

13'

Another Spain chance

The ball heads back in the box and Joselu meets it this time sending a header just over.

11'

Solid save

That's our first shot on goal and it comes from another excellent Navas cross. Merino meets it and Strakosha has to get down well as it's a well-struck shot.

Nice from Spain

Jesus Navas sends a lovely cross to Joselu but it's just cleared.

Nothing comes of it

Asllani sends the cross in but it doesn't beat the first man. Ramadani makes a claim for a penalty due to a tangle with Torres.

Albania force a corner

Albania, flowing with confidence, win the game's first corner.

Great start from Albania

Albania go all out in the first minutes and almost find Asani in the box with a cross.

We're underway in Dusseldorf!

After a rousing national anthem rendition that nearly reduced head coach Sylvinho to tears, his Albania side get us kicked off.

Kick-off!

Bundesliga interest

Thanks to Spain's heavy rotation we will finally get a good look at Bundesliga megastars Alejandro Grimaldo of Bayer Leverkusen and Dani Olmo of RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, on Albania's bench is Klaus Gjasula of Darmstadt.

More on those teams

With Spain already through to the last 16, Luis de la Fuente makes a whopping 10 changes, keeping just Aymeric Laporte in place. For Albania, there's just one change as Balliu comes in for Hysaj.

Albania starting XI

Strakosha - Balliu, Djimsiti, Arlind Ajeti, Mitaj - Ramadani, Asllani - Asani, Laçi, Bajrami - Manaj

Albania subs

E. Berisha, Kastrati, Hysaj, Gjasula, Broja, Mihaj, Seferi, M. Berisha, Muçi, Ismajli, Abrashi, Kumbulla, Aliji, Hoxha.

Spain starting XI

David Raya - Navas, Vivian, Laporte, Grimaldo - Zubimendi, Merino - Oyarzabal, Olmo, Ferran - Joselu.

Spain subs

Simon, Remiro, Carvajal, Le Normand, Yamal, Nacho, Ayoze, Cucurella, Fabian, Pedri, Baena, Fermin, Morata, Williams

Spanish arriving

Spain supporters are in full party mode with their team having already reached the last 16 as group winners with a game to spare. Will these same fans also be celebrating a tournament win on 14 July?

Atmosphere building

Downtown Düsseldorf has been abuzz with excitement and celebration ahead of this evening's game and now fans are slowly starting to make their way to the impressive Merkur Spiel-Arena.

Sylvinho wary

Albania coach Sylvinho says that although Spain - already through to the knockouts - are expected to rotate heavily tonight, his Albania team will still face an almighty challenge. "The second-string Spain team could play in the EURO final and be the favourites," the Brazilian insisted. "We have to focus on what we're going to do. We have to be full of motivation as well to give it a go," he added, in quotes appearing on UEFA's website.

De La Fuente's Spain praise

La Roja's coach was in confident mood ahead of his side's final game in the section later, the tactician saying, "We're progressing and achieving our targets." In quotes appearing on UEFA's official website, the 63-year-old added, "We know we have room for improvement. We can play in different ways so that gives us options and we can be unpredictable. We're full of confidence."

3:43

Düsseldorf experience

Check out the venue for Spain and Albania's clash on Monday night!

Olmo's happy memories

Leipzig's Dani Olmo was the hero for Spain when these teams last met in a friendly in 2022. It took the Spanish until the 75th minute to break Albania down in that game while Olmo's winner didn't come until the dying seconds.

How things stand

Spain's two wins from two games has Luis de la Fuente's side already qualified for the knockouts while their record against Albania is flawless, with La Roja winning all eight meetings between the sides. Albania's point against Croatia last time out means Sylvinho's side are still in with a shout of advancing.

Welcome along!

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Group B showdown between Albania and Spain from Düsseldorf!