Individual performances falter as La Roja again fail to win | OneFootball

They’re two games into Euro 2020, now, but La Roja are still looking for their first win. Luis Enrique’s men opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Sweden, down at La Cartuja in Seville, before tying 1-1 with Poland last night at the same venue. According to Diario AS, it’s a performance that’s fostered concern over some individuals.

Aymeric Laporte, for instance, was caught lacking for Robert Lewandowski’s goal. The Bayern Munich forward was afforded two clear chances on the night, and buried the second one. Playing two left-footed centre-backs just doesn’t work; Spain could have done with a right-footer like Sergio Ramos or Raul Albiol.

Pedri is having a phenomenal season and is sure to be a fixture for Spain for years to come, but he’s being overused. Ronald Koeman played him simply too much toward the end of last season for Barcelona and he was kept on the pitch by Luis Enrique last night from the first whistle to last when, really, he should have been given a rest.

He played alongside Rodri, who sat at the base of midfield. Like Pedri, he’s played an insane amount of football this season and is struggling to adapt to Luis Enrique’s system with Spain, which is different to Pep Guardiola’s system at Manchester City. He doesn’t see as much of the ball, and needs to impose himself on proceedings in a different way.

Jordi Alba looked to have ran out of gasoline as the game went on. He started well, like Spain as a collective, but should really have been substituted for Jose Luis Gaya as the game entered the final stretch. These four have by no means been the culprit’s of Spain’s poor start to Euro 2020, but all are capable, like Gerard Moreno and Alvaro Morata, of hitting another level.