Spain’s “Right-Wing Black Hole”—Yamal can fix it, but what about everyone else?

Spain’s last match against Cape Verde exposed a very serious problem: the right flank attack was almost paralyzed.

The starting right-sided forward was Ferran Torres, with 0 successful take-ons across the entire match. The right-back Llorente’s assist ability is mediocre, and he doesn’t dare push up aggressively. The whole right flank is like a leg that’s broken off—every attack gets squeezed into the center and the left. Cape Verde’s defense is easy to deal with: just pack the middle, because no matter what, you can’t penetrate the right.

That’s why Yamal is so important. Not only can he break through, he can also draw defenders—at least two players need to keep an eye on him, and then space opens up in the middle and on the left. If Yamal starts, Spain’s attack will instantly become three-dimensional.

But the question is: can one player, Yamal, solve everything? If he’s not in good form, or if Saudi Arabia gives him special attention, does Spain have any other options? Nico Williams does have pace on the left, but his recent form hasn’t been steady either. Although the center-forward Oyarzabal has scored in consecutive matches, against a “steel wall” formation, he needs someone to deliver ammunition.

Spain isn’t short on talent—what they lack is tactics that fuse that talent together. De la Fuente must address the “Yamal dependency syndrome”; otherwise, once Yamal is contained, Spain will go back to the same situation as in the last game—passing the ball endlessly with no end result. Saudi Arabia isn’t Cape Verde; they have better defensive discipline and faster counterattack speed. If Spain is still playing like one leg is out of commission, this match could end up being far harder than people expect.

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