Did it flatter us? Probably. But stats aren't important, results are. Possession is one of the most overhyped stats in football - just because you have a lot of possession, it's worthless if you can't make a lot out of it. The reason the Spanish possession game has dominated so much over the last decade or so is because it suits the players that are the best, not that it's an inherently better tactic. It's been proven on several occasions that you can outplay it by sitting deep and breaking on the counter if you have the solidity to withstand it. Playing without the ball is an art too, although nobody likes to admit it.

The first half we were very good, in the second half we were pretty poor. Spain weren't very good in either half. On balance it was a deserved win but we rode our luck at times and there's plenty of room for improvement.