Euro 2016

[monks data]

European Championship | Group Stage

Jun 21, 2016 at 8pm UK

Croatia
2-1
Spain

Kalinic (45'), Perisic (87')

FT(HT: 1-1)

Morata (7')

Vicente del Bosque expects Spain to respond in last 16

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 22 June 2016

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque says that his side must find a positive response to their defeat to Croatia when they face Italy in the knockout stages at Euro 2016.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has said that his players were "sat in silence" in the changing room after they let slip a one-goal lead and missed a penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Croatia.

The defending European champions had gone ahead through an early goal from Alvaro Morata but after Croatia had equalised and Sergio Ramos missed a penalty, Ivan Perisic struck in the closing minutes to see Croatia top Group D instead of Spain.

Del Bosque has insisted that he thought that his side played "quite well" in Bordeaux but he has backed his players to respond after being handed a last-16 showdown with Italy.

Del Bosque is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "The players were sat in silence. They don't enjoy losing. We had the game under control, I'm not going to defend our performance excessively but I think we played quite well.

"We didn't hold on to the ball as well as we should have [before the winning goal] and weren't ready for the counter attack. But we're still in the competition, we are not on the path we wanted to be but we have to rise to the situation."

Spain's setback on Tuesday night has also resulted in the team being placed in the bottom half of the draw, which includes the likes of France, Germany and England.