Spain will feature some of the best football players in Europe and secure a quarter-final date with…

Italy is back at home. Croatia did not make it to the round of 16 and Albania was one of the worst teams at the Euros. If we add to this the fact that we scored seven goals against Georgia in the group stage and that they qualified for the Euros after a penalty shootout against Greece, we can say that Spain has not had any major rivals in the tournament so far.

This argument must be countered with the football played by Luis de la Fuente’s team. It is strange that no team has noticed this coach so far and that he has become national coach, because the RFEF is a world circus in which decisions are made at Russian roulette.

After Spain has defeated all these opponents, we must pause and analyze how La Roja plays and only then will we come to the conclusion that this is the author’s signature, typical of teams that leave their mark at the end… if they win. Because if Germany beats Spain, we won’t remember anything.

De la Fuente had factored every move the Georgians would make into his budget. He knew they would come closer and that Mikautadze and Kvaratskhelia were faster than the entire Spanish defence. He also knew that Spain would dominate the whole game and that they would face a team that was looking for a draw and even more so for a win.

And the goal was scored. But it was a Georgian goal and Le Normand shot it into his own goal. after a counterattack led by these two players known throughout Europe, and yet the Spanish midfield was unable to stop him with a free kick. That goal could have blown everything up, sending Spain into despair, sparking individual battles and ending in despair at the Georgian wall, which incidentally doubled the number of Spaniards in the stands in Cologne.

Spain then continued playing the same game. Outside and inside. Balls to Williams and Yamal or intertwined moves between Pedri, Rodri and Fabian. The Spanish team did not care what their opponents did because they had the ability to attack with crosses down the flanks, enter the box coolly or strike from outside, finally beating Mamardashvili with a goal from Rodri, who minutes earlier had urged his teammates to use their heads and implement what they had rehearsed during the week.

Fabián, Williams and Dani Olmo led Spain into the quarter-finals. Georgia melted away and the 10 million promised to them by former President Bidzina Ivanichvili remained in the oligarch’s bank account. Their football was not good enough to match Spain’s performance and they had to retire because they were playing against a cheeky team that had set the autopilot to play well with fast, direct ball circulation.

Now comes Germany. The final was earlier than planned. The last game for Kroos or the last for La Roja, who could say goodbye to the European Championship with the bitter taste of not having beaten a strong team. For now, all we know is that Professor De la Fuente will prepare the team for the opponent and not for his own idea of ​​football. Spain will adapt to the scenarios that Germany may provoke and will know how to suffer or dominate depending on the result. One week and five training sessions to reach the semifinals.

The Spanish midfield is the Achilles heel of this team. Rodri cannot conquer so much space on his own and there are no other Rodri’s at his side because Pedri or Fabián are not covering his back. That’s what it’s all about when you enjoy playing football. Attacking and being surprised at the back. At least Cucurella, Carvajal, Laporte and Le Normand have more than proven their abilities and it remains to be seen whether the level will be the same against Havertz, Gündogan, Musiala or Sané. Spain are growing and are favourites, but they have to prove against the hosts that their football is worth something.

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