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Euro 2020

23rd Jun 2021

Martin Dubravka scores calamitous own goal to give Spain the lead

Simon Lloyd

An own goal for the ages

Oh, Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin. Martin.

This gets worse with every single viewing.

For a while during the first half, it felt like Spain might be having one of those days in their final group game of Euro 2020 with Slovakia.

With a couple of draws to their name ahead of kick-off in Seville, Luis Enrique’s side needed a win to secure a spot in the knockout stages.

They looked well place to take the lead when they were awarded an early penalty, only for Alvaro Morata to… well, do what he seems to do an awful lot, and spurn the opportunity.

Martin Dubravka was equal to his spot-kick – and, for that matter, whatever else Spain threw his way for the opening half-hour.

Then disaster struck for the goalkeeper.

After Pablo Sarabia’s shot from outside the area looped off the top of the bar, it looked for all the world as though Dubravka would catch it, or maybe even palm it over, if he didn’t want to take any chances.

In the end, he opted for safety… then made a complete mess of it, slapping it into his own goal.

Horrible stuff.

Thinks didn’t improve for Dubravka, who was partly at fault for Spain’s second. Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte nodded in his first goal for Spain after the goalkeeper failed to deal with the ball seconds earlier.