The bad turf (which Belgium also plays on Sunday) as an alibi: in Spain no one is reassured by a good outcome | European Football Championship (11 June to 11 July)

Yes, said national coach Luis Enrique after the game against Poland last weekend. He also expected to have six points after two games in the very reasonable group E of the European Championship. Then no one would whine, if the faces would not be so tight, the supporters would be less critical. After the 0-0 against Sweden and the 1-1 against Poland, the smiles are hard to find with Spain, which has to beat Slovakia in order not to be dependent on other results.

Spain and Seville are not a happy marriage this time. The city was the permanent base of the selection between 1988 and 1996, which played all its official matches there because the ‘feel’ was so good. But those matches were, alternately, in the stadiums of the two local clubs, Betis and Sevilla. Not in the newer La Cartuja, which was built for a World Championships in athletics, where it is now played, after Bilbao had dropped out as a host city.

“The field is bad and it is difficult to play well there. The players have complained about it,” said Luis Enrique after the game against Sweden. The turf is suffering from the bright sun and high temperatures in Seville, which have made it impossible to water during the day for several weeks, because in the sun the blades would burn after their ‘shower’. The Spanish federation blames the poor maintenance on the regional government, which manages La Cartuja. A federation whose leadership is not in the least satisfied with the national coach and the performance of the team. Elimination tonight would be a huge financial setback, because with the bonus per game won, the association hoped to be able to get out of its own red numbers.

But the finances are the least problem for the players against Slovakia. So far, the team lacks not only a shooter, but above all a leader in the field. With Ramos at home, looking for a new club, and Busquets only just rejoining the group, Spain had no spirit guide for the first two games. Occasional captain Jordi Alba does not have that ascendancy. The most suitable captain seems to be the experienced Azpilicueta, who won the Champions League as captain with Chelsea. But the defender has no base place with Spain.

The leader is Luis Enrique, whose somewhat distant, cynical demeanor does not count on great popularity in the country, especially after he has not called up a single Real Madrid player or the accurate Celta striker Aspas for this European Championship. And his players have also come under fire since they left their hotel in Seville before the game against Poland without so much as glancing at or waving at the hundreds of spectators who enthusiastically cheered them on.

In that estranged atmosphere, Spain will have to prove tonight that it is at the level of the other major football countries, and above all that having many ball possessions can lead to more opportunities.

With a good result, the team will be able to leave the bad turf in Seville behind to travel to Glasgow or Copenhagen. In the event of a draw, a duel with Orange would be possible.