Albania will look to seal their first-ever Euro knockout qualification tonight against a Spain team that needed just two games to seal the top spot in Group B. That might be good news for the Eagles as long as they come up against a rotated XI in a must-win game.
By Neel Shelat
Albania Seeking Sustained Defensive Solidity
Albania impressively topped their qualifying group with four clean sheets and just four goals conceded in eight matches, so they might have hoped to have a shot at the Euro knockouts until being drawn in the group of death. Still, they have given a very good account of themselves in their first two games to stay in contention on the final day.
One of the most impressive aspects of Sylvinho’s side in qualifying was the compactness of their mid block out of possession. They did maintain it at the start of both their matches in Germany but somewhat fell apart after taking the lead by sinking too deep and inviting sustained pressure – particularly in the second half of the 2-2 draw against Croatia.
That is precisely what they must avoid against a Spain side that is sure to dominate possession for long periods. A clean sheet alone will probably not be enough for Albania to progress as two points will likely not place them among the best third-placed teams, but it should offer a good platform to build on.
A Free Hit for Spain
Spain are in the luxurious position of not having anything on the line at all from their last group game. Their dominant wins over Croatia and Italy mean first place in the group is already theirs, so Luis de la Fuente can freely rotate his side if he so desires.
Whether or not he should do so, though, is a difficult call. On one hand, he might want to rest his first-choice XI that took to the field half a week ago to face Italy. However, he will also want to keep them match-sharp ahead of their Round of 16 fixture, which they already know will be the late kick-off on Sunday.
Furthermore, the 63-year-old tactician might not want to create any selection dilemmas for the knockouts. He has a set formula having fielded almost the same XI in both games so far (save for Aymeric Laporte replacing Nacho at centre-back) and dominated on all fronts. The defensive unit kept two clean sheets, the midfield comfortably controlled proceedings against top-class competitors, and Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams ran rings around full-backs with Álvaro Morata poised to pounce in the box.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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