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A classic with a final flavor to recover sensations

Rodri, Morata, Gayà, Carvajal and David Raya, during the team’s training session prior to the match against Portugal. / AFP

League of Nations

Spain visits Portugal, its most common rival, with the need for victory to stay alive in the League of Nations and recover from the setback against Switzerland

Jose Manuel Andres

Since the December draw, everything pointed to a resolution of group B of the League of Nations between Spain and Portugal, the two favorites to fight for first place, the only one that grants a ticket to the final on June 4, 2023. With With the permission of Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who have animated the competition by taking points from the two Iberian teams, the script has finally brought about the desired outcome between two of the footballing powers of Europe.

La Roja is planted in the beautiful city of Braga, the third in the country and a not so usual setting for the Portuguese national team, more accustomed to the great stadiums of Lisbon and Porto. He does so forced to win against the opponent he has faced the most times in his centenary history. It will be the 40th episode in the rivalry between the neighbors, with a balance so far favorable to the Spanish team, but the tone of the closest precedents could not be more even. The five previous duels have ended in draws, including the matches in the group stage of the World Cup in Russia (3-3) and that unforgettable semi-final of the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine in 2012 resolved in a hectic penalty shootout.

The victory is urgent to repeat presence in the final phase of a minor competition, but what is more important, it is necessary to recover sensations after the setback against Switzerland. Defensive solidity was lacking to stop the physical Swiss team, but also fang up and clarity in the circulation of the ball, one of the proverbial virtues of Spain, which in the modernist Municipal de Braga will find an irregular turf. The battered state of the green even forced to move the previous training to some adjoining fields to preserve its state.

To tackle these shortcomings, several changes in the eleven are quite predictable. Not at the gate, where Unai Simón has no competition, but on the wings, with the possibility of Carvajal and Gayà taking over from Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba on the lanes. More unlikely is a significant variation of the centrals. Despite the fact that Eric García and Pau Torres left endless doubts in Zaragoza, Diego Llorente and Guillamón do not seem like footballers with enough kilometers to take on the weight of an important match.

In midfield, captain Busquets is at an advanced stage of his career where it would be strange to see him rack up two games in a row after playing the full game against Switzerland. Even more so with a luxury substitute like Rodri, since the position of defensive midfielder is undoubtedly one of the best covers.

Another of the puzzles for Luis Enrique will be to rearm an attack that made waters in La Romareda. Ferran Torres and Sarabia tiptoed on the wings and although Asensio left the flash of the play prior to the goal and convinced the coach, according to his own words, he did not finish putting together a memorable performance as false ‘9’ either. The presence of Morata, the most reliable center forward in La Roja right now, seems reasonable in view of the importance of the duel and with the Atlético player fresh.

More names than results

Face a Portugal with more names than results in the last major tournaments. The list of high-quality footballers available to the veteran and always under suspicion Fernando Santos impresses, but the proposal has not given this Portuguese team that must aspire to everything to go from the round of 16 in the 2018 World Cup in Russia or in the European Championship last summer.

Now, the champion of the first edition of the League of Nations arrives launched, after passing over the Czech Republic in Prague (0-4) and thus taking advantage of the blur of Spain to regain leadership. The draw is worth it, but it is foreseeable that her proposal will be somewhat less granite than that of Switzerland, which is always good news for the Spanish game. It is still Cristiano Ronaldo’s selection despite the poor form of the Manchester United player, but in the new times other names such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota, Vitinha, Rúben Dias or Joao Cancelo also stand out. Gunpowder to give away.

-Probable alignments:

  • Portugal:
    Diogo Costa, Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Danilo, Nuno Mendes, William Carvalho, Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Leao, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva.

  • Spain:
    Unai Simón, Carvajal, Eric García, Diego Llorente, Gayà, Gavi, Rodri, Pedri, Asensio, Morata and Sarabia.

  • Referee:
    Daniele Orsato (Italy).

  • Estadio:
    Municipality of Braga.

  • Time and TV:
    20:45h. La 1.

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