Luis Enrique is clear about his route time for the European Championship. And also the players that you trust. After leaving Sergio Ramos out of the squad and after Iñigo Martínez resigned from the national team due to physical and mental fatigue, he needed a center-back and he already has one. Aymeric Laporte, after his express nationalization, is already the owner of La Roja.
And as for the goal, there were doubts about who would be chosen after Unai Simón’s irregular performance at Athletic, but Luis Enrique did not give rise to debates a week before the start of the Eurocup and wrapped up the Athletic goalkeeper with his seventh consecutive ownership. “I do not have to send messages,” settled the coach when questioned about the ownership of the rojiblanco. «I put the players that I consider to be the best. If I had to send a message I would do it by word of mouth “, referring to his support for Simón. The goalkeeper himself admitted that “I understand that you can talk about the goal, but more pressure from the account does not benefit anyone.”
Simón and Laporte were protagonists of La Roja’s defensive system in a friendly match where the reigning continental champion was barely granted any chances. While Aymeric Laporte stood out in the first leg of the match with his long displacement, seeking to surprise Portugal with some very notable changes of orientation, Unai Simón entered the game with a changed foot. A faulty punt came to his domain, but not wanting to risk a possible assignment penalty, he tried to clear long, finding himself ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Fortunately, the rebound went to his hands, but the Spaniard risked excessively in a play that could cost him dearly.
With hardly any troubles
From there, Simón hardly struggled and tried to calm the defense with his support. Ahead, Laporte, despite being left-handed, was placed as a right central, because Luis Enrique preferred to keep Pau Torres in his natural position, a way for the Villarreal footballer to feel comfortable and gain confidence in the face of the continental tournament.
The truth is that both formed a very interesting couple for the future. It is not easy to take over in such a committed area of players like Piqué and Sergio Ramos, who have marked an era with La Roja. It is up to them to build a new defense, in which Diego Llorente and Eric García, who entered the second half, will also have their options.
After the break, except for a faulty clearance to corner, Laporte maintained the same tone in his performance. He intervened a lot in kicking the ball out from behind, and after moving to the left side when Pau Torres was replaced by Eric Garcia, he ended up asking for the change in minute 78. Some discomfort due to overload led him to take precautions to avoid greater evils. Later, the former Athletic footballer thanked “for the confidence” of La Roja and the coach for giving him ownership. “Both Laporte and Pau Torres have been superb, with great output of the ball, physical power … bordering on the outstanding,” replied Luis Enrique.
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