No point in reading anything into Spain’s draw against Switzerland.
Yes, David De Gea made an error, his first in an age, and yes, Rodrigo Moreno didn’t really enthuse with his cameo appearance, but by and large Julen Lopetegui can be happy with what he saw on Sunday night.
Sergio Busquets’ late withdrawal through illness opened the door to Thiago Alcantara, and the current Bayern Munich midfielder slotted seamlessly into the starting XI.
With Isco and his Real Madrid colleagues still to join up with the national team, Thiago certainly did his chances of regular match time in Russia no harm at all.
Ditto Alvaro Odriozola. The youngster’s impact was there for all to see, and his performance was capped by a wonderful first half volley.
Dani Carvajal’s inclusion is still unknown at this juncture, thanks to the injury he picked up during the Champions League final.
Where once his omission might’ve caused furrowed brows in the camp, Lopetegui and his staff now know they made the right call bringing Odriozola into the national set-up.
Along with Cesar Azpilicueta, La Roja are well covered in that area.
De Gea will retain the No.1 jersey throughout the competition, and his coach has already verbalised that the mistake he made takes nothing away from his excellence between the posts.
Athletic Club’s Kepa is a solid back up if needed, though it’s likely he just be bench warming alongside Pepe Reina for the most part.
Diego Costa will be Lopetegui’s main striker despite the general consensus that he’s not particularly mobile.
#VamosEspaña 💪🏻
What he offers perfectly complements Iago Aspas’ natural game, and if the two of them can hit it off in Russia, then watch out. Their attacking relationship is still embryonic, but the signs are there of something special.
Perhaps the biggest problem, which in fact is still a positive in this case, is who Lopetegui accommodates in midfield.
Andres Iniesta won’t be able to play 90 minutes, and perhaps not so many games in quick succession. Does that dictate that his international goodbye will be as an impact sub?
Or does he still offer enough as a starter?
Busquets will play if fit and well, as, I would expect, will Koke. Which leaves one other spot if Spain go with a four-man midfield.
Alcantara, Isco, David Silva… it’s an embarrassment of riches that Lopetegui has at his disposal.
With 10 days left until the start of the tournament, if that’s the only issue arising, you’d have to admit that Spain are still in pretty good shape. With a squad so strong, it’d be hard to bet against them...
