Spain seeks a semi-final berth on Friday against Germany in Euro 24, with Luis de la Fuente’s team having been pretty impeccable so far in the tournament, scoring nine goals while conceding just one. Few could argue that they have been they most impressive side thus far, but they face their toughest test so far with the host nation.
In the knockout stage, matches tied at the end of 120 minutes will be decided by penalties. This, if not already demonstrated before, is where the goalkeepers’ skill in stopping penalties comes into play, potentially being the difference maker in getting their team to the next round.
Who is Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simón?
Athletic Bilbao’s goalkeeper has secured the undisputed starting position for Spain during this European Championship. Simón made his debut with La Roja in the Nations League in 2020 and has since earned a total of 43 caps with the senior team ahead of this quarterfinal.
Regarding his penalty-saving prowess, the 27-year-old has already demonstrated his skill in this edition of the Euros. It was in the match against Croatia when he saved a penalty from Petkovic. Although a goal was scored subsequently, it was ruled out due to a Croatian player encroaching into the area. Including this one, Simón has stopped five penalties during the 90 minutes of play in his professional career out of 33 faced.
| Penalty shootout game | Opponent | Penalties faced | Penalties saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copa del Rey 20-21 – Quarterfinals | Real Betis | 3 | 2 |
| Euro 2021 – Quarterfinals | Switzerland | 4 | 2 |
| Euro 2021 – Semifinals | Italy | 5 | 1 |
| World Cup 2022 – Round of 16 | Morocco | 4 | 1 |
| Nations League 2023 | Croatia | 6 | 2 |
Unai Simón in penalty shootouts
Regarding penalty shootouts in knockout play, Simón has a success rate of 36.36%. As shown in the table above, he has managed to stop eight of the 22 penalties faced during decisive phases.
The most recent shootout that the Athletic Club number one participated in clinched the Nations League title for Spain, also against Croatia, during which he saved two of the six penalties he faced.
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