The new Scotland returns 25 years later

The problems are always linked to the debuts of the Spanish team in major competitions. Three years ago, just before the opening of the World Cup, the change of coach at the last moment, when Fernando Hierro replaced Julen Lopetegui. This year, the positives of Busquets and Diego Llorente, the latter, in the end, false; and the consequent bubble group that formed. Overcome all these setbacks, Spain debuts today (21.00 / Telecinco) in the European Championship against Sweden at the Cartuja Stadium in Seville. Coach Luis Enrique appeared at a press conference yesterday and explained that “the game plan will always be the same no matter who is in front of it: we will try to take the ball and make it our own. In attack we want to generate many chances and control the opponent’s transitions. And in defense we will turn our players to three quarters of the field to press and recover the ball “. He also stressed that “there will be conditions but I don’t think the heat will be because we play late and because I expected a lot more.”

Without Busquets, Luis Enrique will have to juggle in the middle of the pitch to find a defensive pivot that can give him the performance of the Barça “5”. The candidates to occupy this position are Rodri or Thiago Alcántara. The City is the footballer with physical and football qualities more similar to the captain of the team. Without the leader on the field for today, Luis Enrique was asked who he will be against Sweden. “We don’t lack leadership as all the players who are on the pitch have that ability. I am also a leader. All coaches are for the good, for the bad. Of unknowns, this selection has many: Morata or Gerard Moreno, who will be the pair of central or, the great debate that always surrounds the team since the farewell of Iker Casillas, who will be the defender of the goal. Taking iron out of the question, Luis Enrique replied with irony that for today “the goalkeeper of the team will be David De Gea, Robert Sanchez or Unai Simón.”

Sweden, meanwhile, will start its way to the European Championship with the memory of the good role it completed in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It reached the quarterfinals and only England could with the team of Janne Andersson, who since of 2016 successfully directs the Scandinavian team. Frustrated by the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was sidelined at the last minute due to injury, the coach has been able to set up a team based on the collective and not on individualism. Like Spain, the Swedish team has also suffered the ravages of the coronavirus during the first days of concentration. A couple of players, winger Deixen Kulusevski and midfielder Mattias Svanberg, tested positive just 48 hours after Sergio Busquets. Neither will be able to face Spain and Andersson hopes Kulusevski can join during the tournament. Svanberg had few options to command in the middle of the field, but without Kulusevski, Sweden loses a good left leg that from the start, or as a shock, could bring many things. In addition, Andersson has two players touched who will be in doubt: Albin Ekdal and Jens Cajuste.

Before the Spain-Sweden match played at 9pm in Seville, the other two teams that make up Group E will face off. Lewandwoski’s Poland and Marek Hamsik’s Slovakia will face off at 6pm at the Gazprom Arena in St Petersburg to see which of the two national teams inaugurates the first position of this group. Since 2013 that these teams do not play each other. In fact that year the match between the two ended in victory for the Slovaks in Poland by zero goals to two.

A goal from Sterling gave all three points against Croatia to an England that is postulated as one of the favorites to lift the European Championship. Today at 3pm (Cuatro), Scotland and the Czech Republic face off to close out Group D Day. Scotland return to a continental date 25 years later with a team that can battle to get into the round of 16 fight him first place in England. Andy Robertson, McTominay, Tierney, Villa or Chelsea are Scottish players who play for top clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United and have given a boost to their national team.