MADRID, 10 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain faces its fourth concentration since the Riojan coach took charge of the team and if the previous international commitments have clarified anything, it is that ‘la Roja’ seeks a more daring, vertical and overflowing football with facing extremes, like Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, finally leaves in this concentration when he had already broken down the door and replaced by another player with a similar profile like Bryan Zaragoza, and midfielders with arrival like Mikel Merino or Oihan Sancet.
In the coming days, the triple European champion faces the qualification duels for the next Euro Cup against Scotland, group leader, and Norway, third classified. Some matches in which, if they achieve both victories, they would certify their ticket to Germany. To achieve this, the coach has opted for a continuous line in which youth and vertical and unbalancing players play a leading role.
The great protagonist of the team’s latest call-up has been Bryan Zaragoza, a player who is dazzling the football universe with his impressive start to the League. The last example of him was displayed hours before being enlisted by De la Fuente, along with Ansu Fati, to replace the injured Yeremi Pino and with the omens of a possible injury to Lamine Yamal. Against FC Barcelona, in a big match, the man from Malaga put the entire Barça defense in check, with a double that allowed his team to tie.
But beyond the goals against Barça, the Andalusian winger is standing out in his debut in the First Division for his ability to unbalance. The one from Granada only conjugates the verb face and at the national team break he has arrived as the player in the five major leagues who has made the most dribbles with 59, the same as Leroy Sané, completing 28 of them, which makes him the player of LaLiga most successful in this facet. Furthermore, that verticality is being accompanied by finishing and effectiveness by scoring five goals.
And if Bryan Zaragoza has verticality and dribbling, Nico Williams is not far behind. The Athletic Club winger already showed in the last call-up what he is capable of in the Spain shirt. The youngest Williams, who already enjoyed the trust of Luis Enrique Martínez, was the best in the previous call for ‘la Roja’ against Georgia and Cyprus, with 3 assists and a goal. A very high level that he has maintained with his club during the 6 games in which he played in the League – he has missed 3 due to a muscle injury.
Nico Williams remains one of the best dribblers in Europe. So far in the League, the Athletic player has completed an average of 2.7 dribbles per game. Furthermore, his speed against him makes him one of the forwards who has made the most progressive drives with 49, despite having been absent in some games.
He is very important in Ernesto Valverde’s scheme despite the fact that he has not yet seen the net. However, he has participated in two Athletic goals with two assists. Some numbers that show the maturity that he is experiencing this season and that makes him a fixture in the national coach’s schemes.
And to these names had already been added the young Lamine Yamal, whose dazzling explosion at just 16 years old has allowed him not only to make the jump to the FC Barcelona first team and become key, but also to make his debut with the Absolute. Despite the fact that he has fallen out of these two games due to injury, the Barça youth player is one of the names of this ‘new’ Spain. Along with Nico Williams, he was the most outstanding player in the previous matches, in which he became the youngest to debut and score for the national team.
The barely 16-year-old winger has dazzled the football world for his precocity, but above all for his self-confidence and daring. Yamal has been a key piece for of those who try. In addition, he has scored a goal, assisted another and created 6 chances, records to which we must add the same with Spain in their debut against Georgia.
MERINO, STRENGTH AND ARRIVAL IN THE MIDDLE, SANCET, GOAL ON THE SECOND LINE
And if the profile of the facing wingers is back in the national team, so is that of the arriving midfielder. Since the debut of Luis de la Fuente’s Spain against Norway, the coach made clear his intentions to make the figure of Mikel Merino key.
The Real Sociedad midfielder provides verticality to the team with his drives – 30 so far in the League – and arrival from the second line, which allows him to have a great impact in the rival area. Records to which he adds his ability to win duels, in fact this season he is the player who has emerged victorious in the most duels (96).
On the other hand, the big news on this list: Oihan Sancet. The Navarrese is a different midfielder than those who usually go with the national team. His main qualities are his turns and drives, characteristics that make him a very vertical player with a great ability to receive between the lines.
In addition, he maintains a great love affair with the goal, something that the ‘Red’ midfield line has suffered from in recent times. Last season, ‘the lynx’ scored 10 goals in the League with Athletic Club, and in the seven games he has played this season he has already scored two.
Four players who personify Spain’s ‘new’ style, a change that has also been evidenced in statistics at a collective level. De la Fuente’s team finishes an average of 10 times more per game than Luis Enrique’s, according to data from ‘Driblab’.
Furthermore, Spain’s verticality index since the World Cup in Qatar is higher, as well as the number of Spain’s centers in the four matches of the Euro 2024 qualifying phase, which exceeds those attempted in the last World Cup in 38. More shots, more crosses, more vertical play, that is the Spain that Luis de la Fuente is designing for Euro 2024.