Spain has come back to life when it needed it most. After suffering their first tournament defeat on Monday against Denmark (32-30), the Spanish side were fighting for survival at the U-18 European Championship in Serbia, and they responded exactly as everyone hoped: another 32-30, this time against Poland, which definitively opens the doors to the quarter-finals and keeps them in contention for medals.

Adrián Sola, the soul of a side on the rise

If there is one name that sums up the energy and leadership of these Spaniards, it is Adrián Sola. The Barcelona winger from Navarre, who won the Champions League just months ago with Carlos Ortega's azulgrana, has once again stood out as the team's natural leader. Against Poland he scored 10 goals, the third time in the tournament he has reached that mark — he also did so against the Faroe Islands and Iceland, where he added 12 goals. In total he has accumulated 41 goals in five matches, averaging 8.2 per game, according to mundodeportivo.com.

Sola plays right wing for the national team, where coach Javi Márquez places him on the front line to harness all the potential of his left-handed shot, a role that differs from what he plays at Barcelona, where he shares the right wing with Aleix Gómez. In the youth category, however, he is the moral captain of a generation that shows great promise.

A tactical match where Spain knew how to suffer

The clash against Poland was one of those matches where tactical intelligence makes the difference. The Poles started strong — Moryto put them ahead 3-5 in the 8th minute — but Sola levelled things with his fourth goal (8-8 in the 20th). From that point on, the Spanish team demonstrated solidity: they closed the first half 16-14 with seven goals from the Navarrese player.

The second half was even more tactical. Albert Quesada improved significantly in goal, while Arvid Pérez — with the virtue of being ambidextrous — emerged in attack scoring 6 goals. The Spanish defence imposed its will, and a key moment came in the 36th minute, when Spain broke away 20-15. The Poles pressed at the end (26-24 in the 52nd minute), but the response was immediate and emphatic: a brilliant goal from Pablo Sánchez, a great save from Quesada and another goal from William Thompson sealed the match.

A collective team that emerges reinforced

Although Sola is the beacon, the truth is that Spain has reached the quarter-finals with an extraordinarily balanced team. Alongside the Barcelona winger, names like Pérez (6 goals against Poland), Thompson, Sánchez and Purull, winger for BM Granollers, stand out. This is not a team that depends on a single player, but on a collective where defensive responsibility and balance are very much in evidence.

The next step is clear: Spain will face France on Thursday at 17:00 in the quarter-finals. If they manage to get past that obstacle, they would face the winner of Iceland-Germany in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw are Denmark-Croatia and Slovenia-Hungary.

The path to medals starts now

With this victory over Poland, Spain has left behind the scare of Denmark and has reaffirmed that they have the quality to fight for the podiums in Serbia. A team led by an Adrián Sola in a state of grace, surrounded by teammates with hunger and a winning mentality. Admittedly, the difficult part will be maintaining this energy when they face rivals like France, who at this stage always arrive with firepower.

Will this be the European Championship of a golden generation of Spanish U-18 handball?