Coach Luis de la Fuente’s team won all 3 matches in the group of death and affirmed their strength.
Counter-strategy
Albania launched a preemptive attack in both matches against Italy and Croatia and they got the expected results with early goals. Coach Sylvinho’s team continued this tactic right after the opening whistle but against a Spain team that played well, their plan was completely ruined.
La Roja are ready to give up the playing field to their opponents, pulling their squad back to defend. However, they are also ready to recover thanks to their ability to quickly change state.
Spain have 3 wins after 3 group stage matches.
In the build-up to the opening goal, Spain took just four passes before Ferran Torres put his name on the scoresheet. And once they had the advantage, they made it almost impossible for Albania to keep the ball thanks to their good control in midfield.
Spain at the moment is showing great variability and no longer depends on the dominant possession style of play as before. That not only helps them improve their efficiency but also attracts attention from fans.
Remarkable depth
Despite only retaining Aymeric Laporte from the starting lineup against Italy, Spain still showed quality and cohesion in their squad.
There will be some changes in a few positions, especially the wingers, with the starting duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams performing impressively, but in most other areas, Luis de la Fuente has quality backups, which will help Spain a lot in the upcoming knockout match.
Number 10
Dani Olmo was the most impressive player on the Spanish side in the recent clash.
The RB Leipzig player had a classy through ball that helped Torres score the only goal of the match. But it didn’t stop there, he also left his mark with 2 decisive passes, 3 successful dribbles, 54 touches of the ball and an accurate passing rate of approximately 83%.
Olmo played impressively.
Olmo’s recent classy performance explains why he is becoming a hot commodity that many top clubs are competing for right now.
The look of a champion
After what they have shown, Spain gradually convinced fans that they deserve to be champions.
La Roja have a squad that blends youth and experience, led by a coach who has a deep understanding of the country’s football through youth training. In addition, the current squad also allows them to diversify their playing style instead of following a stereotype as before.
Spain at the moment is ready to challenge any opponent at this year’s EURO.
Impressions of Albania
Although they could not advance, Albania left a mark in the hearts of fans.
Falling into the group of death, many people thought that Sylvinho’s army would become the underdog. But in reality, they brought many difficulties to opponents from Italy, Croatia to Spain.
Albania made Italy struggle to come back in the opening match, before holding Croatia to a draw in the second match.
In the last match, although they lost to Spain, they had moments when they thought they could turn the situation around. If David Raya had not played with concentration, the match could have gone in a completely different direction.