Nations league
The Gipuzkoan, author of the two assists to Ferran Torres in the victory against Italy, acts as the voice of a locker room full of confidence before the duel against the world champion for the title of the League of Nations
The victory against Italy, the European champions, in their own fiefdom has filled the deposits of the Spanish team with confidence. After a European Championship that invited optimism, the start of qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar and especially the defeat in Sweden had recovered certain ghosts of the past, but the great match against the ‘Azzurra’ in Milan and the conquest of a ticket for the final of the League of Nations have been a huge injection of self-esteem.
This was stated by Mikel Oyarzabal just over 48 hours into the duel against France, the current world champion and the most difficult still according to the display of the Gauls in a second half against Belgium in which they came back from an adverse 2-0 and they boasted of verticality and glued. Despite the threat from Benzema, Mbappé or Griezmann, the Gipuzkoan acted as the voice of the dressing room to convey firmness and determination in the face of the challenge: “It is clear that they are very great players and we know their level, but we must not be afraid of anything. You have to have respect for a great team but we also have a great team and if we are right we will have a chance of winning.
In line with what Luis Enrique said after the victory against Italy, Oyarzabal focuses more on his own than on others and flees from obsessions with an adversary that scares: «We had no preference, both are great teams and they were going to put us both in trouble. France has played but we focus on ours. If we are focused as we were against Italy, we know that we will have a chance of winning. “Any of the three would be a good signing for any team, but if I have to stay with someone I’ll take my own thing, with the national team,” he said when asked about his personal preference among the three tenors of the French offensive trident.
In this sense, Griezmann maintains a connection with Oyarzabal, a young Real Sociedad fan when the Frenchman was already dazzling with ‘txuri urdin’. «When Antoine was in the Real I was still a child and did not know much about football, but it marked a stage in his time at the club. We already know the quality it has and tomorrow we will have to be very attentive, “recalled the captain today realistic.
Already at work, the left-hander recognized that the ideal match plan for Spain goes through a script based on long possessions and not on a round trip that favors the verticality and gunpowder of the rival. «If we draw up a game plan, nobody would do it with many turnovers or transitions. We have our ideas and our weapons, we have worked today and we will work tomorrow on a party plan that benefits us, “he explained about the most convenient tactical approach.
An offensive wild card
Personally, with a score of caps behind him, Oyarzabal lives a sweet moment, possessor of a left-handed silk leg, author of the two assists to Ferran Torres against Italy and a real wild card for Luis Enrique for his versatility in the front Of attack. Precisely in reference to mobility and the constant change of positions that the Asturian asks of him, he recognizes that it is not easy, but he is willing to contribute what the coach asks of him, aware of the demands and hierarchies of the national team: « Like it or not, many times it is what you have to do and what you have to know how to do. Here in the national team, although there are many young people, there are also veterans and others are getting into the dynamic. The time will come when I have to take that step forward, but as I did in La Real, naturally ».
In any case, if for someone the duel against France will mean something special, that is undoubtedly Aymeric Laporte, French by birth and almost urgently nationalized before the European Championship. In this sense, his partner Oyarzabal makes the situation natural and sees the central defender in full condition to face the game: “Laporte is like one more. With the same desire to do well and win as the rest. We all have an idea and that is to do something similar to Wednesday against Italy and win a title that we are very excited about. If he is here with us, he has always come when there has been a stoppage of national teams and he always plays because he is doing things well. Both he and the rest of the centrals are of the highest level and whoever plays the team knows what they have to do.
.
