Two minutes of inspiration put the U-21s in the European Championship quarterfinals (2-1)

All was lost until the 84th minute, when Blanuta's red card for a violent tackle on Mosquera sparked the sting of a Spanish U-21 team that was drab and vulnerable against Romania, but they woke up in time to secure a 2-1 place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship in Slovakia. A Jauregizar rocket and Roberto Fernández's cleverness turned around Munteanu's initial 0-1 deficit. Romania came close, and Spain will play top of the group against Italy on the final day after winning both matches, both on the edge of their seats and in epic fashion.

The victory was a long labor of hard work. Romania troubled Spain from the start. Four minutes in, a long ball behind Mosquera was met by Munteanu, who put Spain ahead with a powerful right-footed shot. The shot was as unexpected as it was accurate, impossible for Iturbe, who stretched as far as he could, but he saw the ball flying into the net. The script of the match changed. Romania could have positioned themselves in their own half, close their lines, and counterattacked while frustrating Spain.

Santi Denia's men weren't settled. Lacking the ability to play inside or disrupt the flanks, chances came in dribs and drabs, but they were certainly clear. Diego López, almost facing an empty net, missed the first attempt; Mateo Jhosep missed a penalty—he tried so hard to narrow it down that it went wide of the post—on Tàrrega, which was reviewed by VAR; and Marc Pubill hit the crossbar from a corner. These were flashes of opportunity in the middle of a first half in which Romania stunned Spain.

An expulsion and a comeback Blanuta's red card was the prelude to the two goals from Jauregizar and Roberto

Denia began to shake things up. Roberto Fernández and Raúl Moro came on, active on the right as he has been throughout the League with Valladolid, scoring a shot that Sava deflected off the crossbar for a corner. Joseph continued to struggle, while Iturbe and Tàrrega saved the 2-0 lead with a double chance as the match entered the decisive phase. Munteanu continued to pose a threat, and Denia's team crashed into the opposing goalkeeper, who was unorthodox but effective.

Beyond the result and the sluggishness of their attacking play, the bad news for Spain was their vulnerability whenever Romania pushed through midfield with a player and space. All of these actions resulted in a scoring opportunity for Rotaru's team. Enthused by the result, Romania tried to run out of time and over-revved, so much so that Blanuta, just minutes after coming onto the field, was sent off for a disproportionate tackle on Mosquera.

Prelude to a draw . Jauregizar received the ball 30 meters from goal and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Sava. Spain hadn't tried that formula before, and their dry spell was the magic potion. With barely time to react or celebrate, a cross from an active Raúl Moro was cleverly finished by Roberto Fernández, who, despite Sava's lack of coordination, had lost his aura up to that point. At 2-1, the score was all but over.

Romania ended up dejected on the ground, sad, because they had it in their grasp. Even with opportunities to make it 2-0, Spain celebrated with restraint. First objective achieved. Now they'll have to improve to continue aspiring to another title in the youth categories.