Russia's shock failure exit at thhe group stage at Euro 2012 should be a lesson to Spain ahead of their crunch match with Croatia, forward Fernando Torres said Sunday.
A stubborn performance from Greece and a Russian defensive fumble gave Greece an unlikely 1-0 win on Saturday. Combined with the Czech Republic’s 1-0 win over Poland, the result was enough to send the Czechs and Greeks through from Group A.
Spain can qualify for the quarterfinals with a win or a draw against Croatia on Monday, while defeat will see them eliminated if Italy beat Ireland .
"The Russia result last night was a wake-up call for all of us," Torres said.
"You must be switched on from the first game to the last. We are aware of the strengths of Croatia. We have been watching videos and we know how to approach the game. For us the main thing is to have respect for our opponents."
Scoring a brace of goals against Ireland has increased his confidence, Torres added.
The Chelsea striker has 30 goals in 95 caps for Spain.
