Spain thrashed Georgia 4-1 in a round of 16 clash at the European Championships in Cologne on Sunday. Georgia took the lead in the first half, but the Spaniards steamrolled them thereafter with a clinical performance.
Spain finished the match with 76% ball-possession and a staggering 35 attempts at goal, of which 13 were on target. It was a clinical performance that has been typical of the Spaniards, whose form is ominous for their upcoming opponents.
Spain will take on hosts Germany in the quarterfinal in Dortmund on Friday. It is probably going to be a monumental clash that will feature two title-favourites.
Midfield Battles Key for the Match
Both Germany and Spain have very strong midfields, which have dominated their opponents throughout the tournament. If Germany has the likes of İlkay Gündoğan, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Leroy Sané in their ranks, the Spaniards have Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Pedri to unsettle their opponents.
Spain, quite characteristically, plays possession-based football with short passes, with the likes of Rodri and Pedri pulling the strings. Germany’s playing style is a bit more direct and they rely on long balls and crosses a bit more than the Spaniards.
It is going to be a fantastic midfield battle, with Robert Andrich playing a key role for Germany in stopping Spain’s midfielders. As Toni Kroos is likely to stay deep as the left-sided centre-back, as he has done throughout the tournament, Andrich will have to shoulder a lot of defensive responsibility in the middle third.
Even Gündoğan might have to shun his attacking instincts somewhat to stay back and help Andrich deal with the Spanish pressure. It would also enable Musiala to continue to have the freedom to display his creativity and make those forays into the box.
Without Gündoğan’s support, it will be very difficult for Andrich to stop Rodri and Pedri from playing those crucial forward passes. Andrich will have to be prepared to intercept or block a number of those passes if Germany is to fare well on the day.
Spain’s Wingers Will Test Germany’s Wing-Backs
Germany has often switched to a 3-4-3 while having possession, as their wing-backs Joshua Kimmich and David Raum have gone into overlaps. However, the hosts have not come up against a winger duo as potent as Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal. Williams especially, has been superb in the tournament so far and will continue to put pressure on Kimmich.
In fact, the ability of the German wing-backs to make those overlaps will be key to their success against La Roja on Friday. Germany and Spain have probably been the two best teams to watch at Euro 2024 so far and hence, their clash should prove to be a very entertaining one. Hence, the battle of wits between Julian Nagelsmann and Luis de la Fuente should be thoroughly enjoyable to watch. However, Germany will have the additional advantage of playing at home.
The Germans will also have revenge in their minds, as they suffered defeats against the Spaniards at each of Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. It will be a great opportunity for Die Mannschaft to avenge those defeats.