Euro 2024 champions Spain were unable to start a new era with victory, as they drew 0-0 with Serbia.
The first fixture in Nations League A Group 4 did threaten to burst into life on occasion but flattered to deceive.
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Stojkovic steadfast in selection
You would have been forgiven for assuming Serbian manager Dragan Stojkovic would opt to shuffle his deck, given Serbia’s underwhelming Euro 2024 performance and the opportunities a new international cycle brings. Instead, he stuck with what he knew.
Al-Ittihad’s Predrag Rajkovic remained between the sticks, despite the highly-rated Dorde Petrovic being included in the squad. Petrovic was reliable for Chelsea last season and should see his stock rise once more this season on loan at Strasbourg. Rajkovic justified his inclusion however, putting in a man of the match performance for his five saves.
Stojkovic also chose his three of his most capped midfielders: Ivan Ilic, Sasa Lukic, and Andrija Zivkovic. Up top, AC Milan’s Luka Jovic was given the not to no-one’s surprise. Alexander Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic both withdraw from the squad, leaving only one of the country’s triumvirate of elite strikers to lead the line.
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De La Fuente tactically cautious
Clearly, having won Euro 2024 by winning every game, Spain manager Luis De La Fuente would be forgiven for not changing his tactics too much. With that said, it was the Spaniard himself who mentioned he would be tinkering with his midfield. The Nations League offers a chance to experiment whilst in a competitive setting, but De La Fuente didn’t fully grasp the opportunity.
Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal are nearly untouchable on the wings, so it is in the centre that this tactical conundrum takes place. With Rodri absent, Fabian Ruiz was partnered by Martin Zubimendi, a more than competent deputy for Manchester City’s lynchpin.
Dani Olmo’s selection was also justified by his performances since he joined Barcelona and since he earned his spot in the starting eleven during a spectacular Euros campaign where he started out of the team.
The consequence of this is dropping Pedri. De La Fuente is said to be eager to work out how to play both Dani Olmo and Pedri together; both are incredibly gifted players who are undoubtedly capable of implementing tactical tweaks.
Pedri did come on against Serbia in the 76th minute, but only got to spend six minutes playing with Olmo before Ferran Torres’ appearance.
The solution may lie at the top of the pitch.
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The flawed nine
With 21 shots and 74% possession, Spain were the team in the ascendency, as they also accumulated a superior expected goals of 1.39. Villarreal’s Ayoze Perez had a poor game up front and is never going to be the long term solution. De La Fuente was unmoved by the draw and said it was ‘almost a pre-season game’.
Despite this, he may have a problem. Perennial maybe-man Alvaro Morata is the obvious choice, but he has looked low on confidence in a struggling AC Milan team early this season. De La Fuente didn’t even select him for the squad.
Ferran Torres and Joselu, who both came on against Serbia, both bring problems too. Torres won’t start for Barcelona regularly this season, whereas Joselu is 34 years old and now plays in Qatar. Hardly international level competition out there.
It was Yamal who was given the most opportunities in the match but put his two biggest ones wide of the Serbian goal. Olmo has played as a striker previously, but mostly as a false nine or other atypical attacking role. Whilst he would have been ideal for Spain’s tiki-taka teams of yesteryear, De La Fuente’s template demands a traditional number nine.
Either the tactical blueprint shifts or De La Fuente gambles on one of his more defective options.
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Nations League continues to divide
This edition’s altered format means every team will have something to play for following the conclusion of the league phase. The top two teams in each group in League A will qualify for the Nations League Finals, whilst the bottom two could be relegated. This means different nations will continue to approach the competition differently, as the continent’s attitude is not left to settle on the previous format.
Spain and De La Fuente are content to use it as an opportunity to get match experience for their wider squad, whereas Serbia seem to be focused on results, based on squad selection and performance.
This draw demonstrates the potential for upsets in this group. The other two teams, Denmark and Switzerland, are established features in major tournaments, and could easily find themselves second or first on merit.
Serbia’s expectations are perhaps lower, but standings are so volatile with so few games that they really do have an opportunity to go for one of the top two spots.
England have trailblazed the path for European powers dropping down a league, and they were trying to compete. Spain should be careful not to allow themselves to slip.
