Olympic Games: De la Fuente brings out the shaker

Luis de la Fuente has two maxims in these short tournaments: get the group to be more of a team than a selection and have everyone plugged in (follow the game live on AS.com). For this to be fulfilled, he is aware that he has to shake the eleven when a performance is very improvable, as happened against Egypt in the premiere.

The coach's pulse does not tremble and a good example is the 2019 European Under-21 Championship, which was won to achieve this Olympic ticket. Everything started crooked, with a defeat to Italy (3-1) and De la Fuente introduced four new players in the second game against Belgium. There is another similarity with that tournament: Fabián, who had been the best, was injured by a strong blow. As now happens with Ceballos (the Utrera was already without crutches yesterday, but is ruled out until the semifinals).

Spain set the course against Belgium (2-1) in a lackluster victory that led to another five changes from match two to match three. There, yes, finally, De la Fuente hit the mark (5-0) and the team played very little in the semifinals and the final.

That is his obsession now, finding the combination to make all the pieces work. There are two obligatory novelties for today's game: Óscar Gil and Zubimendi for the injured Mingueza and Ceballos. Of particular importance is the presence of Zubimendi, who arrives on time after missing Thursday's game due to muscle discomfort. With his return, De la Fuente returns to his favorite scheme: 4-2-3-1. The biggest beneficiary will be Merino, who will occupy his favorite demarcation (of eight with freedom to arrive). Pedri, for his part, must have more freedom to move around the midfielder and step on the opposite area, something that the coach will ask for.

In addition, the coach will refresh the left back (Cucurella for Miranda) and it is quite likely, based on what was rehearsed in training, that some of the heavyweights of the attack will start on the bench. It is difficult to know who, because De la Fuente likes not to give his players clues until the pre-game talk, so that they maintain the tension. One option is the entry of Bryan Gil by Oyarzabal, with Dani Olmo on the false nine and Asensio on the right.

Australia

Opposite will be an Australian team that left one of the great surprises of the first day: they beat Argentina (2-0) with authority. It is a very orderly team, physically strong and with a devilish danger against it. Precisely all the ingredients that tend to hurt Spain, which must be as safe in defense as in the first game.

Right now, Australia leads the group and Spain's margin of error has run out, because a defeat would leave them with a foot and a half out of the Games and a draw would turn the last day into a drama. Only three points are worth. The positive part is that this same group has been seen at some point like this (even much more committed) in all the tournaments that have ended up winning. That experience should guide them when it comes to making good with a victory today Thursday's draw.