Spain seeks forcefulness against the Icelandic ‘rock’
The team returns to Riazor 13 years later to try to offer its best image against Iceland
BARCELONA, 28 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish football team will play this Tuesday (8:45 p.m./La1) at the Riazor Stadium, in A Coruña, the second of its friendlies of this international break that will face a rocky and physical rival like Iceland, where it hopes to add to its good sections on Saturday a greater ‘punch’ that makes him suffer less.
Luis Enrique’s men arrive at this game with a good taste in their mouths despite the discreet and hard-fought win against Albania (2-1) on their return to Barcelona after 18 years, especially due to the warm reception from the public that turned the stands of RCD Espanyol’s feud at a party, with a happy ending thanks to Dani Olmo’s final goal that gave the victory.
Now, in what will be the last friendly match before the World Cup in Qatar and that everything the ‘Red’ will play until this date will be from the League of Nations, Spain will also try to shine a little more in a city where it has not played for a long time. 13 years old, when he did show off with a great 5-0 win against Belgium in a qualifying match for South Africa 2010.
The national team encountered many difficulties against Albania and a relatively comfortable match does not await them against Iceland, a rival that, like Edoardo Reja’s, has been growing in competitiveness in recent years and against whom the coach could opt to move your eleven.
The big surprise on Saturday was the ownership of David Raya, who made his debut in his first call-up with the national team, but it seems that he could now make way for the starting theoretician, Unai Simón, since Robert Sánchez had to leave the concentration due to ” personal reasons” and was replaced by Arnau Tenas, goalkeeper of the FC Barcelona subsidiary and who was concentrated with the Sub-21.
In addition to the Athletic Club goalkeeper, the only ones who did not have minutes at the RCDE Stadium were Aymeric Laporte, Hugo Guillamón, Koke Resurrección and Marcos Llorente, and the four could be novelties in the eleven, especially the Manchester City center-back, who could team up with the Valencian player or with Eric García, with Jordi Alba and Azpilicueta as possible full-backs, and the captain of Atlético de Madrid.
This could enter the competitive center of the field where Luis Enrique bet against Albania for the youth and impudence of Pedri and Gavi as companions of Rodri, the only ‘5’ that he has brought and who could repeat except for improvisation or trial of the Asturian with Marcos Llorente , the only one of those summoned who is closer to that position and with options also to play on the side.
Above, Luis Enrique could also do some kind of testing since he also only has a clear nine like Álvaro Morata. The one from Juventus was a starter along with Ferran Torres who continues with his idyll with the goal in the national team and Pablo Sarabia, but it seems almost certain that Dani Olmo will regain ownership in this ‘trident’ to which Yéremi Pino also aspires.
ICELAND, FAR FROM ITS BEST MOMENT
Spain knows that they will have a match very similar to that of Albania, with a much more powerful Iceland surely in the physical aspect and that they will try to take refuge near their area to hinder the game of the triple European champion who has always cost this rival and the one that has not been measured since 2007 with the suffered tie to one in Reykjavik in a qualifying match for the 2008 European Championship.
Thus, although the historical balance between the two teams is fully favorable to the Spanish team, which has won six of the nine games played, with two draws and only one defeat, in 1991 and which was key in leaving Spain without a EURO in 1992, the ‘Roja’ could never beat the Nordic team by more than a goal advantage.
Iceland, number 60 in the FIFA world ranking, has improved in recent years and jumped onto the world stage at Euro 2016 reaching the quarterfinals. However, they do not seem to be at their best after a discreet qualifying phase for Qatar where they finished penultimate in their group and have not been able to win in their last five games, with two draws, including last Saturday’s in Murcia against Finland, and three defeats.
In their ranks is Andri Gudjohnsen, son of Eidur Gudjohnsen, former FC Barcelona player and the team’s all-time top scorer. The young striker evolves from the Real Madrid academy trained by Raúl González Blanco.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
SPAIN: Unai Simón; Azpilicueta, Pau Torres, Laporte, Jordi Alba; Soler, Rodri, Koke; Ferran Torres, Morata and Olmo.
ICELAND: Runarsson; Sampsted, Bjarnason, Gretarsson, Magnusson, Helgasson, Bjarnason, Thordarson; Sigurdsson, Thorsteinsson and Bödvarsson.
–REFEREE: Horatiu Fesnic (RUM).
–STADIUM: Riazor Stadium.
–TIME: 20.45/La1.