Alexia Putellas's tribute to Sonia Bermúdez: "Some of my past has rubbed off on her."

Without a voice, with a smile that reflected both joy and relaxation, Sonia Bermúdez dreamed of a debut like this: four goals, a clean sheet, the smooth return of Jenni Hermoso and Mapi , and even the debut of Lucía Corrales . Even Alexia paid tribute to her with a masterful free kick that became Spain's first goal. "Alexia has picked up some of my past," joked the coach, much more relaxed because her team had been "superb."

"I enjoyed it, I'll sum it up like this. It's my philosophy of life: enjoy it , celebrate now, and tomorrow we'll think about the next game," said the coach, who left La Rosaleda with the ball from her debut under her arm, as if she were still a player—"which is the best thing in the world," she pointed out—and wanted to remember her most important night.

She even dared to analyze tactical issues that, until now, she had avoided so as not to give her opponents any clues. One was the decision to use Clàudia Pina up front when Salma Paralluelo had to leave the field injured half an hour into the match. "We were going to attack with her, and the idea with Pina was to bring her on in the second half due to her speed and quality. But I see Clàudia as a striker . She's capable of creating a square inside for us with the wingers, she scores goals, she can accelerate the game and find herself in space... she's been superb, as has the whole team," she insisted.

Another nuance that will be seen from Bermúdez's approach is his selection as the attacking midfielder. "We'll see. Sometimes we'll play with a key player, other times with a false nine, but we have players who adapt very well ," he said, without wishing to give any more details.

For now, it's unknown whether Salma will be available for the return leg in Gothenburg next Tuesday. "We're waiting for the assessment. She received a kick from behind, which, for me, even if it was offside, is an assault . And that aggression can be stopped, because cards can be issued and it can be stopped," argued the coach, who also referred to Jenni 's return in the final moments of the match. "We hugged everyone at the end, but she was emotional. Memories come back, and wearing the Spain shirt is incredible ," she confirmed. "Mapi was very good in the duels, in the guards. She was happy, and we were delighted," she added about the Barça center back.

Alexia 'chases' Jenni

Bermúdez's debut was sweetened by Alexia's free kick, which she felt was going to end up in the back of the net. "The moment you hit it, you already know if you hit it well or not. I felt the ball, and the way it came out, I knew it was going very well," she explained. With that goal, her 38th with the national team, she equaled Vero Boquete and then surpassed her. Now, she only has Jenni ahead of her, with 57 goals. "At the end of the day, they are great legends who have played for the national team and are still active. I have also been lucky enough to share a locker room with them, and it is an honor to be by Jenni's side," she stated.

What's missing is a sense of excitement. "I don't even know how many she's had. I 'm a central midfielder, so it's hard to get many chances to score goals . I know I always have some, and that's why I work hard to be effective," she clarified. What she loved was her return. "I think we all got goosebumps when they chanted her name even when she was warming up. Both she and Mapi were very happy to be able to enjoy a home game with the national team. If they're happy, we are too," she concluded.

Now Sweden is waiting again and doesn't want to get complacent because losing the Euro final still stings. "It hurts a lot and it's something you don't fully forget, obviously, because it's a shock. But that also helps us move forward, to avoid repeating mistakes. We have a good lead now, but we'd be making a mistake if we didn't go into it with the same mentality we had in this match," he explained.

Now, her role is a bit different than it was. "Sonia asks me to help out a bit with the ball , and then in the third quarter, to have a bit more of that attacking, that freedom." For now, it's making her shine.