Spain’s national team that kicks off its Uefa Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia on Saturday can do so with optimism, despite a complicated group, which also includes Italy and an Albanian side that has several players earning their keep in Serie A.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has a much lower profile than his predecessor Luis Enrique, but the former left-back, who has spent much of his coaching career working within Spain’s youth system, has watched many of his players grow and has put his trust in them.
He is helped by having Rodri as his midfield lynchpin, providing stability ahead of an exciting and youthful attack, while 27-year-old goalkeeper Unai Simon has a maturity beyond his years, which explains why he has already played 40 times for his country.
Simon will be protected by a defence consisting of Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand and probably Nacho Fernandez, given Aymeric Laporte’s muscle problems, while newly-crowned Bundesliga champion Alex Grimaldo is likely to start on the left.
Rodri will be flanked by one of the Real Sociedad duo of Martin Zubimendi or Mikel Merino, while a fit-again Pedri should give extra creativity to a midfield that looks fluid and well-balanced.
Other players such as Dani Olmo, Fabian Ruiz and Fermin Lopez give De la Fuente the chance to chop and change if needed, with Olmo offering width and goals, Ruiz giving extra control and Barcelona youngster Lopez showing an ability to arrive from deep to score important goals.
Alvaro Morata has long been questioned as centre-forward, but the former Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid striker has an enviable tally of 35 goals from 73 international appearances. He will always run his legs off even if he isn’t the most confident of finishers.
Real Madrid’s Joselu and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal are both effective understudies to Morata, with Joselu a reliable target man, while Oyarzabal can play in either a deep or wide role.
It is out wide that Spain has its most exciting talents, with Barcelona’s 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams among the players expected to set the tournament alight.
Both are lightning fast and love to take on defenders, making them exciting to watch and highly effective, with Yamal already one of the leaders at Barcelona, while Williams has gained in consistency and maturity since his appearance at the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
De la Fuente has refreshed the squad since replacing Luis Enrique in the wake of the disappointment in Qatar, and although his side still enjoy possession football, players such as Williams, Yamal, Fermin and Pedri allow them to attack with more speed than the pedestrian efforts that fell short in the last 16 against Morocco 18 months ago.
Spain beat Italy 2-1 and defeated Croatia on penalties in their Uefa Nations League triumph a year ago and that should give them confidence in their group against two experienced rivals, but looking at the squad De la Fuente has put together, perhaps other countries should worry about a team that has youth, pace and plenty of different ways to win matches.
