Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has praised Austria captain David Alaba for his outstanding goal-line clearance during his side's 3-0 defeat to Spain, describing the veteran defender's positioning and defensive awareness as exceptional.
Despite Austria's loss on Thursday night, Alaba produced one of the standout defensive moments of the match in the closing stages when he denied teenage sensation Lamine Yamal a goal with a remarkable clearance off the line.
The experienced defender reacted quickly after Yamal's rebound effort had beaten goalkeeper Alexander Schlager in the 85th minute, positioning himself perfectly to prevent Spain from extending their advantage.
Speaking during his analysis on SuperSport, as monitored by allnigeriasoccer.com, Iwobi lauded Alaba's anticipation and years of defensive experience, insisting the Austrian international appeared to know exactly where the ball was heading.
“His positioning is like he knew that the ball was going towards the direction where Lamine Yamal was and clear,” the Super Eagles midfielder said.
“Clearing the ball off the line is something that he has to do over the years. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time he can do that but he is still relentless.”
Iwobi also acknowledged the immense attacking quality of the Spanish side, noting that Austria faced threats from virtually every area of the pitch rather than focusing solely on Yamal.
“Obviously, Lamine Yamal didn't get his goal today but they kind of focused on him. There were so many attacking threats , Alex Baena, for [Marc] Cucurella, [Pedro] Porro, [Mikel] Oyarzabal. Everyone was a threat so it wasn't easy to contain that,” he added.
Spain's dominant victory secured their place in the Round of 16, where they will face the winner of the knockout clash between Portugal and Croatia as they continue their quest for glory.
Adeyemi Adewale
Photo credit: oefb.at
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