Spain player ratings vs Cape Verde Islands show a night wasted up front

Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde Islands in Atlanta on Monday, and the ratings make the story pretty clear. Pedri was Spain's standout, Rodri controlled the middle, and Aymeric Laporte also rated well, but the finishing at the top end let the performance down. Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal both missed the clearest openings, while Lamine Yamal only arrived late enough to offer a brief escape route.

Why Spain's best players still left without a goal

Pedri led the ratings with 8.9, and he backed that up over 94 minutes with 96 passes and 5 key passes. Rodri was next on 8.3 after 127 passes and 3 key passes, while Laporte's 8.0 underlined that Spain were not short of control or quality through the back and midfield.

The problem was the final action. Ferran Torres finished on 5.6, the lowest mark among Spain's starters, after the worst miss of the night. GOAL called it "an absolute sitter" and Torres also hit the bar from six yards out. Oyarzabal's 6.2 reflected a similar story, because Spain had the ball in dangerous areas and still did not get the touch or finish they needed.

Why Cape Verde Islands could live with the pressure

Spain produced 27 shots, 7 on target and 2.29 xG, which normally should have been enough to turn a heavy territorial edge into a win. It did not happen here because Vozinha produced the kind of performance that can flip a game on its head. Sports Illustrated FC called the 40-year-old goalkeeper the surprise star as Cape Verde held firm.

His 9.2 rating and 7 saves tell you why Spain kept running into the same wall. Luis de la Fuente threw on Lamine Yamal for the final 20 minutes, and the 6.6 rating he got off the bench suggests he added some threat. But by then Spain had already wasted too many chances, and the draw was set.

Vozinha's display was the biggest single reason Cape Verde Islands got out of Atlanta with a point. Spain had enough possession, enough shots and enough good individual ratings, but not enough finishing to make any of it count.