The big favorite in its round of 16 against a surprising and uninhibited Georgia on Sunday in Cologne (9:00 p.m.), Spain is fully committed to aiming for nothing other than the final coronation at Euro-2024.
With three victories in as many matches in a Group B which was not easy, notably with the Italian title holder and the third place in the last World Cup, Croatia, La Roja made an impression.
Spain had not made such a start in a major competition since Euro 2008, if we take into account that the 1964 edition only had four teams and was played at home.
“There are similarities” between Spain in 2008 and 2024, said former striker Fernando Torres, crowned champion in the edition in Switzerland and Austria, in the columns of the Spanish daily Marca, citing as an example “the lack of credit with which both teams attacked the competition.”
Because Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, which has undergone a spectacular tactical transformation since the departure of Luis Enrique, with less possession of the ball and more speed in transitions, has slowly seduced, even in the country where people now firmly believe in their chances of a final title.
“It doesn’t scare us that people now see us as the favorites. (…) We arrived on tiptoe but we have clear ideas and we came to win the Euro,” proclaimed Alejandro Grimaldo, the Spanish full-back, who will play almost “at home” in Cologne, since it plays 15km away, in Leverkusen.
Zero goals conceded
With zero goals conceded, the rearguard seems just as solid as the attack is sharp thanks to its two diamonds Nico Williams (21 years old) and Yamine Lamal who, at 16, continues to amaze European football.
“When I try to remember where I was at his age, I was light years away from what he does,” admitted Georgia coach Willy Sagnol, who nevertheless recalled that “ danger comes from everywhere against Spain.”
Novice in international competition, Georgia charmed with a game full of panache from which it will not deviate.
“We will go into this match with a lot of confidence because we have absolutely nothing to lose. For me, we have already won Euro 2024,” warned Sagnol at a press conference.
Faced with a Spanish team which no longer seeks to have it at all costs, the “Crusaders” will have to try “to have control of the ball at times (… to) breathe and not be constantly under pressure”, their coach recently detailed in L’Equipe. “We’re not just a combat team. We have to make people want it,” he added.
When Mamardashvili room…
With the tournament’s top scorer, Georges Mikautadze, even if two of his three goals came from the penalty spot and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia making clear progress against Portugal, the Spanish rearguard will perhaps face the strongest attack formidable of his journey so far.
In the cages, they will find a familiar player in Giorgi Mamardashvili, one of the best goalkeepers of the tournament with his 20 saves, far ahead of the Romanian Florin Nita (13).
The Valence CF goalkeeper did not hesitate to tease his opponents by asserting on the front page of Marca that “Kvaratskhelia is better than all of Spain” combined.
With 10 goals conceded in the two games he played against Spain, including a 7-1 in Tbilisi last September, he has nothing to brag about, but both sides are putting this unfortunate precedent behind them.
“What happened a few months ago doesn’t matter. We know how complicated it will be to move on to the quarter-finals and that’s what we are focused on,” assured Grimaldo.
” Everything is possible. And even if you have a 1% chance, you have to use it. (…) We will try to write one more page in our history,” proclaimed, for her part, Kvaratskhelia.
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