After such a positive start to his game, this was all sorts of awful.
In a European Championship littered with own goals, Martin Dúbravka has come up with the worst.
10 minutes after saving a penalty from Spain’s Alvaro Morata, Dúbravka lost his bearing completely after Pablo Sarabia had cracked the Slovakia crossbar with a 25-yard drive.
The Newcastle United goalkeeper was attempting to tip the ball over his bar – and play it safe – but only managed to bat it into his own net. It was a completely horror show, and one really had to feel for Dúbravka:
Poor old Martin Dubravka scores one of the most remarkable own goals you're ever likely to see. #SVK 0-1 #ESP#SVKESP #SWEPOL #EURO2020 #RTEsoccer
📱 Live updates – https://t.co/I4g1uzzjTk
📺 Watch live – https://t.co/wQsvKI41BU pic.twitter.com/eZAzpPI5NG— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 23, 2021
In the RTE studios, Richie Sadlier did his best to explain what must have been going through the goalkeeper’s head:
“You know what he is trying to do – trying to get up over his crossbar and knock it out for a corner… maybe it was the sunshine, but maybe a shout from his teammate to say, ‘Catch it. No-one is near you’.”
The Slovakia No.1, who had brilliantly saved Morata’s penalty, on 23 minutes, was consoled by his teammates as the Spanish players reeled off in celebration.
Aymeric Laporte doubled Spain’s lead just before half-time with a header that Dúbravka was powerless to stop.
That Spain score is now the sixth own goal conceded at Euro 2020, a European Championship record, and we are not even out of the group stages.
