Three months after a section of Spain fans whistled Alvaro Morata, the striker got the ball rolling on their Euro 2024 bid by scoring the opener to inspire an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia on Saturday.
Spain’s lack of an elite No 9 is often cited as one of the country’s weak points but the Atletico Madrid forward set up three-time champions La Roja for a perfect start in Berlin.
The former Juventus, Real Madrid and Chelsea forward has bounced around some of Europe’s biggest sides without fully convincing or becoming the consistently lethal weapon many hoped he could be.
Morata limped off after 67 minutes but insisted after the game it was just a knock and he would be fit for Spain’s second match in what was dubbed the ‘group of death’.
“I am ready for Italy,” he said, with Spain facing the Euro 2020 champions on Thursday in Gelsenkirchen.
After Spain had dominated early possession it was just when Croatia began to play their way into the match that Morata pounced.
The forward, occasionally derided for spurning presentable opportunities, broke in down the middle after the excellent Fabian Ruiz threaded a pass through for him from deep in midfield.
Morata stayed calm as he stared down Dominik Livakovic and, with his weaker left foot, clinically slid the ball past the Croatian goalkeeper.
“Fabian gave it to me, I said the other day that he’s brilliant, he had a great game and then he scored a great goal himself,” said Morata, passing on the credit.
The Atletico striker’s goal blew the game open after Croatia had kept it tightly closed, and Ruiz added the second just three minutes later, with Dani Carvajal grabbing another before the break.
Morata’s strike made him the standalone fourth top Spanish international goalscorer of all-time with 36 goals, trailing only leader David Villa on 59, as well as Raul and Fernando Torres with 44 and 38 respectively.
The striker also pulled level as the joint-third top Euros goalscorer, with Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann on seven – Cristiano Ronaldo has 14 and Michel Platini nine.