Yamal on standby as a replacement—Spain isn’t in a rush to “draw its blade,” but the killer moves are loaded at any time

This match for Spain has a very important variable: Yamal and Nico Williams will most likely not start. Both of them previously had injuries, and only recovered training last week. Head coach De la Fuente is very cautious and won’t take the risk of starting them. The head coach put it very clearly: “We will assess the condition of the players who have recovered from injury, because there’s more to consider than just two or three matches.”

But this doesn’t mean Spain will show mercy. Without Yamal, Spain’s starting forward line will most likely be made up of Ferran Torres, Oyarzabal, and Baeña. Oyarzabal has scored in six straight national team matches, and his form is red-hot. On the bench, two major weapons are also waiting: Yamal and Nico Williams. Once the first half can’t break open the situation, or if they want to continue expanding the score after taking the lead, De la Fuente can deploy them at any moment to finish the game. This kind of setup is even more terrifying for Cape Verde—thinking you’ve held on for 60 minutes, only for them to bring on two fresh forces and keep pressing.

Spain’s goal in this match is very clear: take three points at the lowest cost, while saving energy for tougher matches ahead. But “the lowest cost” doesn’t mean “winning only by one.” Against a team like Cape Verde, who are making their first appearance, if Spain only win 1-0, they’ll actually face criticism from the media. So De la Fuente will definitely require the players to secure the victory steadily on the premise that they don’t concede any goals.

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