Monday, October 14, 2024, 6:35 p.m.
| Updated 9:59 p.m.
The storm in the form of injuries and physical problems of varying degrees, together with the pressures of the clubs in a stretch of the season of maximum demand, has left the Spanish team with what it has. The good work of La Roja in the first three games of the League of Nations, with two victories and a draw, allows it to lead its group and glimpse qualification for the quarterfinals of the tournament, but it will have to reach the shore in a draw.
With four survivors compared to the initial team that played in the Euro Cup final – Laporte, Cucurella, Fabián Ruiz and Morata are the only theoretical starters who hold up – the champion of the Old Continent rearms as best it can to achieve the victory against Serbia that has the key to the knockout phase of the tournament.
As Carvajal, Ferran Torres, Yéremy Pino, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have left Spain‘s eventful camp, Bryan Gil – also injured even before arriving at the City of Football – has joined the variable list of internationals. , Bryan Zaragoza, Sergio Gómez and Rodrigo Riquelme. Added to this constant tweaking of the call has been the rumor and suspicion from the clubs in relation to the management of minutes by the coach. And it never rains to everyone’s liking.
De la Fuente dispatches the criticism with a conciliatory tone and assumes the delicate obligation of remaking half of his defense, part of the midfield and almost an entire attack without Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, symbols of the Spain that won the European Championship in Germany. .
The upright and cheeky Bryan Zaragoza is the footballer with characteristics most similar to those of the Barça and Athletic wingers, something that can open the door to an eleven that Baena also seriously opposes. Villarreal’s commitment, which gave Spain another rhythm in the final stretch of the duel against Denmark, forms an interesting duo with Pedri, who is called to find the spaces and success in the last pass against a rival that is presumed to be rocky. from the retreat. On the other hand, Oyarzabal, who was not entirely good in Murcia, could fall out of the coach’s initial approach.
There is not much room for rotations, so the coach aims to repeat the spine compared to the first match of the FIFA window, with the option of incorporating the acclaimed Cucurella in place of Grimaldo on the left wing. As already demonstrated by the jammed duel against Serbia in Belgrade, in which Spain drew goalless, La Roja will need depth on the sides to wear down the populated Balkan defensive network, capable of withstanding the entire duel against the European champions.
A reinforced rival
Once again without Vlahovic, their great offensive reference, although reinforced by another guaranteed striker like Mitrovic, the team led by Dragan Stojkovic still aspires to reach the knockout phase of the Nations League. They are supported by the important victory against Switzerland, a victory that partially alleviates the feeling that the Serbian team usually disappoints in important events, as demonstrated by their poor record in the last major tournaments, well below the weight of their names.
Córdoba, which has waited for La Roja for almost a quarter of a century, hosts an official Spanish duel for the first time. In April 2001, the team then led by José Antonio Camacho beat Japan with a goal from Rubén Baraja in injury time, in a duel that had the objective of preparing for the upcoming World Cup in Korea and Japan.
Excited by the visit of a team that has regained its popularity among fans after the Euro Cup, the Caliphate city promises a great entry in the New Archangel to push the battered Spanish team towards the quarterfinals of the Nations League.
-Probable alignments:
Spain: Raya, Porro, Vivian, Laporte, Cucurella, Pedri, Zubimendi, Fabián, Baena, Morata and Bryan Zaragoza.
Serbia: Rajkovic, Nedeljkovic, Veljkovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic, Birmancevic, Maksimovic, Grujic, Samardzic, Lukic y Mitrovic.
Referee: Daniel Stefanski (Polonia).
Stadium: Nuevo Arcángel (Córdoba).
Time and TV: 8:45 p.m. The 1.
