As a Newcastle United supporter, I’ve spent a large portion of my life telling anyone and everyone how Martin Dúbravka is the most underrated goalkeeper in the Premier League. The 32-year-old Slovak is a world-class shot stopper, but most of those keepers come with the caveat of “prone to the odd howler.”
Not Dúbravka.
At least not until Wednesday when Slovakia met Spain in its Euro 2020 Group E finale.
Things started as expected in Seville with Spain dominating possession and creating chance after chance, but there was Dúbravka denying Álvaro Morata from a tight angle; there was Dúbravka denying Morata from the penalty spot; there was Dúbravka denying Morata from distance.
With just one goal from its first two matches, La Furia Roja looked doomed to more of the same at La Cartuja.
Until the the half-hour mark, when Pablo Sarabia smashed the crossbar from 18 yards out and the bar ballooned toward the heavens. Dúbravka’s task, as a 6-foot-3 inch man, was then to tip the descending ball over the crossbar to end the danger.
Instead, he dunked on himself.
DUBRAVKA PUNCHES IT INTO HIS OWN NET pic.twitter.com/gL7OTrIi1v
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 23, 2021
Even worse? This might send Slovakia out of the tournament.
Update: It’s not getting any better for Dúbravka.
¡Gooooool de España!✨
¡EN VIVO! https://t.co/nkGVLX6aPr
GRATIS en la app TUDN y @PrendeTV #EuroTUDN I #VeranoDeCampeones I #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/spjqiLNa0o— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) June 23, 2021
