The unexpected stumble against Switzerland in La Romareda has left the Spanish team with no margin for error in the last day. The best possible test before the World Cup, which is less than two months from now, awaits Spain: a Portugal that has just beaten the Czech Republic at home and for which a tie is worth it to seal the ticket to the final phase of the League of Nations.
The Municipal Stadium of Braga hosts a real final. The story of two years ago is repeating itself, when Luis Enrique’s team also had to beat Germany in La Cartuja to play in the “Final Four”. That night, he scored a historic thrashing against the Germans. But on this occasion the national selection will not count on the breath of its fans; rather it will be the opposite. There have been no tickets for sale for weeks. Braga’s majestic stadium, an architectural gem, will be a pressure cooker with more than 30,000 Lusitanians in its stands. As if that wasn’t enough, Spain hasn’t won on Portuguese soil for 19 years. It was the day of Fernando Torres’ debut. On September 6, 2003, the national team beat Portugal 0-3 in Guimaraes, about 15 kilometers from Braga.
After signing against Switzerland the worst first half since he has been a coach, as he himself recognized, Luis Enrique is considering revolutionizing his eleven with changes in all his lines and placing Álvaro Morata as a center forward, after his failed experiment with Marco Asensio as a false nine. Carvajal, Gayà and Diego Llorente, in addition to Rodri Hernández, could also have the opportunity to start in this decisive match against Portugal, which will have Cristiano Ronaldo as its reference.
