Albania v Spain: Ferran Torres to steer La Roja to third group stage win | OneFootball

Euro 2024

Ambitious Spain aiming to win all three group games at EURO 2024

It's a do or die game for Albania in Group B, but Jamie Kemp expects a Spain side in top spot to be in no mood to take their foot off the gas...

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Albania v SpainMonday 24th June, 20:00Live on BBC Two

Spain won't need their 'Gala XI' to direct events

"There's nobody better than us" was the message from Spain boss Luis de la Fuente following his side's victory over Italy last time out. We'll know whether that's true in a just over three weeks' time, but for now, La Roja are walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

With top spot in Group B already clinched - following one of the best pound-for-pound performances of EURO 2024 so far - Spain now find themselves in the ideal position of being able to cool the jets a little in their third game. Not performance-wise, of course, but at least in terms of being able to rest some of their key players.

Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have been featured parts of Spain's two victories so far, but you'd expect at least one of them to sit this game out. Along with being 21 and 16 respectively, their games both rely on actions done in dynamic fashion, and not to mention plenty of pressing without the ball. Risking one or both here with qualification already sealed doesn't seem the smartest call.

Albania have the necessity to get a result to have any chance of going through, but the problem for them is Spain's way of playing shouldn't be altered too much by making rotations. The 4-3-3 system will stay intact, Spain will still press from the front, and they'll look to maintain a direct style of attacking even if they end up with the lion's share of possession. In that fashion, they racked up 20 shots and nine on target versus Italy, while only giving up 0.16 xG themselves.

In terms of the likely rotations to occur, Ferran Torres is the only winger who's been substituted on in the previous two games. He's been a trusted player across multiple regimes for Spain, and just the type of player they'll look to bring in to maintain their professionalism on MD3.

The Barcelona winger has scored a respectable 15 goals in 26 starts for Spain, while he's netted in each of his last two when being named in the starting XI too. Along with Spain to be ahead in the 90th minute, I'll opt for the ex-Man City man to get on the scoresheet in a 11/5 double.

Dani Olmo can be Spain's temporary creative hub

With reports gathering in the Spanish press that rotations are well on the agenda for Luis de la Fuente, another player who is likely to get a start in that scenario is Leipzig's Dani Olmo. Were it not for injury disruptions in 2023-24 - including leading into this tournament - he might well have been in the starting XI from day one.

Olmo occupies the strange position of being a Spaniard who's never played professional football in Spain, but his performances for the national team have rarely underwhelmed and the recognition is there in the country. When fit and available, the 26-year-old has looked every bit a viable starter for La Roja.

Assuming de la Fuente takes the opportunity to rotate here, sitting Pedri after the injury-hit season he's had looks like a sensible decision. He's a particular case that Spain need to look after as much as possible in this tournament, and that should mean a vacancy in the no. 10 position needing to be filled, with Olmo looking well-placed to do so.

The Leipzig midfielder has landed at least one shot on target in each of his last eight starts for Spain (12 overall), and he's averaged 1.8 fouls won across his last 14 starts for the national team (25 overall). In a chance to impress here, if given the start, expect him to be one of Spain's main agitators in the game.

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