Álex Baena has the gift of the chosen few, says Valdano

From the stands, Nacho Donado describes the move behind the opening goal: everyone expected Baena to shoot, but he chose the least obvious pass, to Barrios. Alberto Pérez sums it up with an idea from Valdano.

Nacho Donado begins by talking about Álex Baena's first half: he saw him brimming with confidence, with a self-assurance and a desire to have the game revolve around him that were plain to see on the pitch. He believes that is why he was named MVP, even though he eased off in the second half.

Donado reconstructs the move that led to the goal: everyone expected him to shoot with his left, then with his right, or to pass to one of the two teammates in passing lanes. Instead he found the one nobody expected, Pablo Barrios, arriving from deep. And at that moment, Donado realised it was the best option.

Alberto Pérez picks up on the idea. Another player with more pace might have gone through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but Baena knows himself, knows he lacks that burst of speed, and slows things down. Pérez cites Valdano, who takes seriously the players who slow down in the box. When everyone is shouting «shoot», Baena picks the best option, and doing that inside the area, he says, is something only the chosen few can do.