Spain measures itself

While I stir Roma with Santiago, which amounts to searching and searching on Google how a penalty between Ramos and Neuer is quoted in bookmakers, the goal of the German team breaks a spear for the Spanish defender. That's fine. “He is a great player who has already thrown me some penalties, I am sure he has the capacity to withstand a lot of pressure both in his club and in the national team,” says the Bayern wall. Sergio and Manuel will be the captains of Spain-Germany that closes this Tuesday the group stage of the Nations League in La Cartuja. A game with a pass to the Final Four at stake, a duel with the aroma of the great's football. Ramos and Neuer know very well what that is (follow the match live on As.com).

La Roja is only worth the victory to be in the Final Four, while the Mannschaft is enough with a draw. Speculating, however, does not go with them. “It's like a final and we want to win the match”, Neuer clarifies that, except for a surprise, he will play his 96th game with the national team, thereby beating Sepp Maier as the goalkeeper with the most caps in the Mannschaft. Germany lands in Seville leaving doubts along the way, although it is true that they have not lost since September 2019 (against the Netherlands). It is a renovated block and that takes time, even though Joachim Löw seems to be looking at him with a magnifying glass lately. Yesterday, without going any further, Oliver Bierhoff, director of the German Federation, stated in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that “at the end of the day we all have to be measured by results.”

That is a chorus that is sung in the same way in Bonn as in Valladolid, of course. Spain is also chasing a victory that encourages the staff. The casting that Luis Enrique has carried out is put to the test in matches like tonight's, in which one of its key pieces will be missing, Busquets. The Barcelona player suffers a slight sprain to the external lateral ligament of his left knee due to a blow suffered on Saturday in Basel. His place will be taken by Rodri, natural relief.

The City midfielder, probably escorted by Koke, will be key to slowing down the German average. Spain clings to its good defensive work at home (Unai could repeat under sticks), as they have chained six games without conceding a goal. The last time he saw his goal beaten was on March 23 of last year, when the Norwegian Joshua King scored a penalty in the qualifying match for the Eurocup that was not (it should have been played last June) And what will be (unless the virus is still afloat) in 2021. Since then, victories against Sweden (3-0), Faroe Islands (4-0), Malta (7-0), Romania (5-0), Ukraine (4-0) and Switzerland (1-0).

On the other side of the mirror, there is also a notable absence in the center of the field, that of Kimmich, who has become one of the footballers of the year. Löw will also not be able to count on a defensive strut like Rüdiger, while everything indicates that he will entrust his options in attack to Werner, probably escorted by those rays of the surname Sané and Gnabry. An attack similar to that of which Spain has made the flag, that of the forwards who exchange positions to complicate life for the rival centrals. We will see who wins that chess battle that awaits us today in Seville.