Spain head coach Luis Enrique has admitted that Japan deserved to beat his side in their encounter at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Japan edged out the former champions 2-1 at the at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday night.
Alvaro Morata put Spain ahead in the 11th minute but Japan turned the game around with goals from Ritsu Doan and Atomu Tanaka.
Enrique claimed that Japan dominated the game against his team and they deserved the win.
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“There were five minutes of panic, they scored two goals against us and they could have scored another two,” the nationalnews.com quoted Enrique as saying.
“When a team like Japan has nothing to lose, it happens that they fly like aeroplanes. Then it went back to normal.
“The end was very difficult because they were very closed. Japan goes first and it is deserved because they beat Germany and Spain.”
Spain came second in Group E with four points from three matches, while Japan finished top of the log.
La Furia Roja will play Morocco in the Round of 16 on December 6 at the Education City Stadium.
