Spain seeks to put the icing on the cake in Valladolid
Luis de la Fuente’s men receive Georgia with the aim of tying first place and being seeded in the draw for the Euro Cup
MADRID, 18 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s soccer team faces Georgia this Sunday at the José Zorrilla Stadium in Valladolid (8:45 p.m./La 1) in the last match of the qualifying phase for Euro 2024 with the ultimate goal of confirming first place in Group A. which guarantees you being seeded in the draw and avoiding ‘bogeymen’ in the event that will be held in Germany next summer.
With classification already assured, Luis de la Fuente’s men reached the last qualifying ‘window’ with only one mission on the horizon: to tie the lead. After Thursday’s victory against Cyprus (1-3), fifth consecutive in the phase, and Scotland’s draw against the Georgians (2-2), they were left alone at the top with 18 points.
Two points therefore separate the Spanish and the Scottish team, who this Sunday face a Norway that will not be able to count on its star Erling Haaland due to injury. If he wins, ‘la Roja’ will finish first; If they tie, too, almost certainly – they have the ‘golaverage’ won by Scotland, against whom they lost on the second day (2-0) and won on the seventh (2-0) -.
Faced with the penultimate classification of the group, Spain, which will only regret the absence of Mikel Oyarzabal who had to leave the concentration due to an injury to his left femoral biceps, will change practically the entire starting eleven regarding the duel in Cypriot lands.
In goal, after David Raya played in Limassol, Unai Simón could return to the starting lineup, although Álex Remiro has many options to make his senior debut in Pucela. José Luis Gayá, who did not have minutes against Cyprus, will form the left back, while Dani Carvajal will occupy the right and Iñigo Martínez and Robin Le Normand will form the center back pair.
Rodri Hernández also returns to the team, who will be the helm in a midfield that will also include Fabián Ruiz and Gavi or Oihan Sancet. With Nico Williams as a novelty up front, Ferran Torres or Lamine Yamal will compete for another position, and Álvaro Morata will be the main offensive reference, in search of a goal that will make him the fourth all-time top scorer for ‘la Roja’ – displacing David Silva-.
Opposite, Georgia still has a chance of being in the continental event next summer, all despite occupying the penultimate place in the group. Willy Sagnol’s men, who have eight points, two away from Norway’s third place (10), could still be classified as one of the four best third-place finishers.
Thus, they do not throw in the towel against a rival that handed them the worst home defeat in their history in Tbilisi (1-7). This same ‘window’, they tied with Scotland (2-2), and in their previous match they broke against Cyprus (4-0) with a streak of three consecutive defeats in the qualifying phase.
Without Cremonese defender Luka Lochoshvili, who was injured against the Scots, Levante midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili will be the reference player for the Georgians, who will have Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili between the sticks.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
SPAIN: Álex Remiro; Carvajal, Le Normand, Iñigo Martínez, Gayà; Rodri, Fabián; Ferran, Gavi, Nico Williams; and Morata.
GEORGIA: Mamardashvili; Kakabadze, Lochoshvili, Kashia, Kvirkvelia, Shengelia; Kvekveskiri, Kochorashvili; Chakvetadze; Kvaratskhelia y Mikautadze.
— REFEREE: Ovidiu Hategan (RUM).
–STADIUM: José Zorrilla.
–TIME: 20.45/La 1.