Spain ended their Euro 2020 journey on a high. They were not among the favourites from the start of the tournament. But the team led by Luis Enrique did wonders in the tournament. Luis Enrique was on his second spell with Spain; first being one during World Cup 2018. He did not have any experience in international management. His ability to get his team to deliver on his plans is unquestioned since he guided FC Barcelona to the treble in 2015.
Spain breezed through their qualifying group with a near flawless record. They scored 31 goals and conceded just 5. Spain’s Euro Journey started off with successive draws against Sweden and Poland. They did little to alter the low expectations. But they secured their last 16 place with a thumping 5-0 win over Slovakia. Since, they drew in all their knockout games. They defeat Croatia 5-3 in extra time, penalty shootout to get past Switzerland and another shootout against Italy where they played their last minutes in Euro.
Their form: WWDDWWWWWWL
Spain Tactics at Euro
Enrique’s Spain have an uncomplicated style of play. Simon gets the attack started by spraying the ball out from the back. The centre backs push possession forward through the midfield. Their midfield at Euro 2020 was full of talent to dominate the game. After the first 2 games, Luis Enrique placed major emphasis on vertical play rather than extended bouts of possession. The likes of Pedri, Rodri and Koke stood as foundation for Spain’s attack. The wingers were tasked with providing thrust and width. But they would remain unpredictable. They would miss while its least expected to and be potent when nobody thinks they could.
Everyone were flabbergast when Sergio Ramos was not called up for International Duty. Luis Enrique made a bold move having not called up any Real Madrid players. He took a young squad to the Euros. The Average age of the squad at the Euros was 26.51. He bought out their true potential, while everyone doubted that they would get past the qualifying stage. We may be witnessing the birth of a new Era for Spanish Football.
Key Players for Spain
The Technical Mob
Pedri has been one of the greatest revelations of the last season and at Euro 2020. His reputation has taken a further boost when you think he wont turn 19 until November. He is arguably one of the best players at the tournaments who has exquisite technical talent. Rodri took over the role of Sergio Busquets as the Chief Conductor of the Spanish Side. He supported the Defence and played precise passes. He was alert on the when to press, when to sweep and when to spray the ball forward.
Solid Defence
Aymeric Laporte has been a terrific addition the squad. Enrique altered between Eric Garcia and Pau Torres. The defence had its shaky moments, but they possess a lot of quality and are crucial to the team’s passing style. The experience of Sergio Ramos and Inigo Martinez might have been missed at times. But the future of Spain’s central defence appears to be in good hands. Unai Simon performed well, despite the horrendous error against Croatia in RO-16.
The Dual Threat
Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo had their best performances against Italy. The attacking duo displayed not just skill, but also intelligence and maturity. Olmo played a false-9 role and had good chances to score. It was a shame he missed the penalty; but his performances deserved a goal. Ferran was one of the prolific wing forward at Euro 2020. His intelligent movement coupled with his tenuous shooting technique helped him deliver on potential.
