Resurgent Andres Iniesta Primed to Lead Spain Through Euro 2016

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at Internationaled.org

Published: June 11, 2016

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Thirteen minutes were up on the clock, and Andres Iniesta had retreated into his own half at the Camp Nou. Receiving the ball from Javier Mascherano, he was in the most delicate of spots: 80 yards from goal, isolated, being closed down and with his back to nearly all his team-mates.  

In so many ways, it was a turning point.

Immediately, Iniesta spun in a flash. Right there, no one could have been aware that he was kickstarting a move that would change so much—the scoreboard, this game, his career trajectory, the outlooks of both Barcelona and Spain—but that's what he was doing. 

Almost gliding, he set off and breezed past one Paris Saint-Germain player. Then another. Then another. And another. As he skipped and danced through the crowd, the grace of his slalom became truly captivating—the footwork, the effortless speed, the artistry.

Eventually, after more than 50 dazzling yards, he fed Neymar, who scored. But in the minds of those who were there that night—a night in April 2015—the sequence is still going and Iniesta is still running, still weaving and still delighting.

And that's the thing: He still is. 

More than a year on, Iniesta hasn't stopped doing exactly that and is heading into Euro 2016 with Spain in the sort of form that's a match for anything we've previously seen from him.

On Tuesday, against Georgia in La Roja's final warm-up game ahead of the tournament, he entered play in the second half, and amid the malaise exhibited from those around him, he sparkled like only he can.

"Iniesta came on after the break; [David] Silva a while later," wrote AS editor Alfredo Relano afterward. "Of course, everything changed. Especially with Iniesta, who once again taught his lesson. He is phenomenal, both physically and with his clarity of thought."

It wasn't surprising, either.  



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Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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