Spain visits Portugal, its most frequent rival, with the need for victory to stay alive in the League of Nations and recover from adversity against Switzerland
Since the December draw, everything pointed to a resolution by Group B of the League of Nations between Spain and Portugal, the two favorites vying for first place, the only one to award a ticket to the final on June 4, 2023. With the approval of Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who have animated the competition by taking points from the two Iberian teams, the script has finally achieved the desired outcome between two of Europe’s footballing powers.
La Roja is planted in the beautiful city of Braga, the third in the country and a not so common setting for the Portuguese national team, more accustomed to the big stadiums of Lisbon and Porto. He is forced to do so in order to win against the opponent he has met most often in his hundred years of existence. It will be the 40th installment in the neighbours’ rivalry, with a balance so far favoring the Spanish team, but the tone of the closest precedents couldn’t be more even. The five previous matches have ended in a draw, including the group stage matches of the World Cup in Russia (3-3) and that unforgettable semi-final of the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine in 2012, resolved in a thrilling penalty shootout.
The victory is urgently needed to repeat the presence in the closing stages of a small competition, but more importantly, it is necessary to restore the sensations after the setback against Switzerland. Defensive solidity to hold back the physical Swiss team was lacking, but also tusks and clarity in the ball circulation, one of the proverbial virtues of Spain, which will find an irregular turf in the modernist Municipal de Braga. The battered condition of the green even forced the previous practice to be moved to some adjacent fields to preserve its condition.
To address these shortcomings, several changes to the Eleven are fairly predictable. Not at the gate, where Unai Simón has no competition, but on the wings, with the possibility of Carvajal and Gayà taking over from Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba on the tracks. More unlikely is a significant variation of the power plants. Despite Eric García and Pau Torres having endless doubts in Zaragoza, Diego Llorente and Guillamón don’t seem like footballers with enough mileage to take the weight of an important game.
In midfield, captain Busquets is at an advanced stage in his career where it would be strange to see him win two games in a row after the full match against Switzerland. Especially with a luxury substitute like Rodri, as the position of defensive midfielder is undoubtedly one of the best covers.
Another of the puzzles for Luis Enrique is rearming an attack that made waters in La Romareda. Ferran Torres and Sarabia tiptoed on the wings and although Asensio left the flash of play for the goal and convinced the coach, a memorable performance as a false ‘9’ in his own words didn’t materialize either. The presence of Morata, currently the most reliable striker in La Roja, seems reasonable given the importance of the duel and with the Atletico player fresh.
Take on a Portugal with more names than results in the last major tournaments. The list of high-quality football players available to the veteran and always under suspicion Fernando Santos impresses, but the proposal has not given this Portuguese team everything that must aspire to get out of the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia or in the European Championship last summer.
Now the champion of the first edition of the League of Nations arrives launched, after passing the Czech Republic in Prague (0-4), taking advantage of Spain’s haze to regain the lead. The draw is worth it, but it’s foreseeable that their proposal will be a little less granite than Switzerland’s, which is always good news for the Spanish game. It is still the selection of Cristiano Ronaldo despite the poor form of the Manchester United player, but in the new times other names such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota, Vitinha, Ruben Dias or Joao Cancelo also stand out . Gunpowder to give away.
Source: La Verdad
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