The Spanish team hopes to seal tonight (9pm, La1) its qualification for the Final Four of the Nations League, the competition that will distribute the two European tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. To do so, it must beat Italy in Pasarón (Pontevedra ), where a full house is expected after the few seats that were put up for sale sold out in a few minutes. Yesterday, the Federation put 1,200 more tickets on sale, those that had been reserved for the Italian Federation, and dozens of Galicians queued from early in the morning to get a ticket to see the world champion.
Spain comes into the match as the leader of its group, having won all the matches played to date and depending on itself to qualify for the semi-finals. With a draw against Italy, their pass would also be practically assured and a defeat would even serve them as long as Sweden did not beat Switzerland, something unlikely.
Montse Tomé will not be able to count on Alexia Putellas, who returned to Barcelona on Monday to finish recovering from her knee discomfort. Irene Paredes will be available, who has already overcome the tonsillitis that has kept her out of action for two weeks. The Blaugrana center has been joining the group dynamic and we will have to see if it has its first minutes of competition after having missed the last four games with FC Barcelona.
In Italy, Andra Soncin has two very important absences: Barbara Bonansea and Cristiana Girelli, due to injury. Both were starters in the first leg in which they put the Spanish team on the ropes, which ended up winning them with a goal in the last minute by Jenni Hermoso.
The match will also mark the return of the team to Galicia, a land that it has not visited in years. A match that will be special for Tere Abelleira from Pontevedra, since it will be played in the stadium where her father Milo, a historic Galician coach, made his debut as a coach. Her brother Tomás Abelleira also played for Pontevedra and her brother-in-law, goalkeeper Edu Sousa, returned to the Pasarón club this year after his time at Deportivo.
Spain has everything in its sights to secure its place in the semi-finals today but, if it does not achieve this, it will still have a second chance next Tuesday, the 5th, against Sweden in La Rosaleda (Málaga). The teams ranked first in their groups will face each other in the Final Four that will decide the two semifinalists. Both will have a ticket guaranteed for the Paris Olympic Games next summer. If achieved, it will be Spain's first Olympic participation.
