Spain does not want to get entangled in Athens
The Spanish team needs to beat Greece to continue depending on itself for the direct ticket to the World Cup
MADRID, 10 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish soccer team will seek to continue depending on itself to achieve direct qualification for the World Cup in Qatar next year on its visit this Thursday (8:45 p.m. / La1) to a Greece that also plays its options and that has already been capable of stopping those of Luis Enrique Martínez in Granada.
The national team faces the moment of truth to be in the first winter World Cup. Second in Group B with 13 points, it is two behind the leader Sweden and four ahead of its next rival, so anything that is not winning at the Spyros Louis could condemn it to a complex ‘playoff’ of repechage to ‘life or death’.
The triple European champion has not failed a World Cup since she was absent in 1974 and now she will have to handle that ‘extra’ pressure of being in an extreme situation. In addition, the Swedes play before (18.45) in Georgia and if they succeed, they will force the Spanish to get the three points from Athens and then both play the direct ticket to Qatar next Sunday at La Cartuja in Seville.
Encouraged by its good performance in the ‘Final Four’ of the Nations League, where it stopped European champion Italy and tutored world champion France, Spain must change the chip now to face a qualifying round match where There is surely more at stake than last month on Italian soil, as Luis Enrique himself well recognized.
The national team has not finished performing excessively well at home in this qualifying phase and that is a vital aspect to improve to visit a Greece that has already won over Sweden and that with the encouragement of its public will try to surprise a team who suffered the unspeakable in Tbilisi (1-2 with a goal from Dani Olmo in 92), who also did not have a good time in Pristina (0-2) and who fell in Solna (2-1).
And he will have to get the three points with important losses in the offensive part of his scheme like Ferran Torres, his best scorer, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ansu Fati, Gerard Moreno and Yéremi Pino. In return, Luis Enrique recovers Álvaro Morata and Dani Olmo, absent in the ‘Final a Cuatro’, and this time he has summoned the national ‘top scorer’ Raúl de Tomás, has once again trusted a player of yesteryear like Rodrigo Moreno and has called for the first time to Brahim Díaz.
The Asturian coach must decide how his trident above to disarm the presumably defensive framework of the Greeks and if he opts for one of his two ‘9’. Olmo would surely regain his place on one of the sides, although he has just returned from an injury, while the other could be for Sarabia, lately intoned with the goal at Sporting de Portugal and the starter there in the two San Siro duels. Brahim’s talent and last pass could also give him options.
GREECE, WITH SIGNIFICANT LOSSES
In the middle is where least news is expected and the trio formed by Busquets, Koke and the young Gavi is emerging as the one chosen for their good performance a month ago. Back, Carvajal returns and his good offensive conditions could give him the title and make Azpilicueta be Laporte’s partner due to the loss of Eric García. If the Navarrese remains on the right, Pau Torres and Íñigo Martínez would fight for a gap, while Jordi Alba starts with an advantage over Gayà on the left side.
Spain expects a game that will not differ excessively from that of almost eight months ago at Nuevo Los Cármenes, although the date of the season means that its players are in a better physical level. There, he left two points and crashed on many occasions before the defensive system of a Greece that, however, may be forced to risk something more this time.
The team led by John van’t Schip has significantly improved its performance and needs to win to maintain its chances of reaching second place in the group, but despite this, it is most likely that it will start with the greater responsibility that the triple will have. European champion and prefer to play a ‘long’ match.
The Dutch coach will have important absences such as that of captain Bakasetas, a key player in his scheme, and that of central Hatzidiakos, both due to suspension. Behind him he has more problems due to the loss of another center-back like Mavropanos that could weaken his best virtue somewhat.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
GRECIA: Vlachodimos, Androutsos, Tzavelas, Mitoglou, Tsimikas; Limnios, Bouchalakis, Siopis, Tzolis; Masouras y Pavlidis.
SPAIN: Unai Simón; Carvajal, Azpilicueta, Laporte, Jordi Alba; Koke, Busquets, Gavi; Sarabia, Morata and Dani Olmo.
–ÁRBITRO: Szymon Marciniak (POL).
–STADIO: Spyros Louis.
–TIME: 20.45 / La1.