Euro 2024: “Spain is a perpetual movement”, the eye of Benjamin Psalm on the semi-final

Rodri est la plaque tournante de la sélection espagnole. firo Sportphoto – Jürgen Fromme

Consultant pour Midi Libre, l’ancien joueur de Toulouse, Arles-Avignon et Troyes évoque les forces de la Roja mais aussi les solutions pour la contrer.

Spain is, for me, the best team I have seen since the start of the Euro. This is the only “big team” who plays without the handbrake and who does not hesitate to move forward. Obviously, everyone talks about the two arrows on the sides, it's a bit of the historical change in Spain. Before, it was a lot of possession, a little sterile, but now, with Yamal and Williams, it allows them to be both in possession, but also in percussion.

In midfield, they have exceptional collective strength, such high-performance players, who all play the same football, in the same style. We know in advance the shape of the match…hellip; possession will be Spanish, of course, the Blues will try to be solid and aggressive at the back, as they have been since the start of the Euro. With each recovery, Deschamps will ask his midfielders and defenders to look for attackers in depth.

They will defend with seven and will count on the three in front to plant banderillas.

To slow down the Spanish game on the sides, the defensive efforts of our wingers will be extremely important so as not to leave our full-backs in 1 against 1.

We must try to cut off their preferential patterns as much as possible, where Rodri will direct, Olmo will pick up… You have to be very attentive, because Spain is in perpetual movement.

I would take Antoine Griezmann out of the eleven

One of Spain’s flaws is, for me, the leading striker, Morata. He's in trouble. Otherwise, there is their defense, deprived of Carvajal and Le Normand, suspended, Laporte, who perhaps in difficulty in the depth… With a Kolo Muani, a Dembélé or even an Mbappé in legs, we can hurt them very badly.

If I were Didier Deschamps, I would remove Antoine Griezmann from the starting eleven. I would bring him in along the way depending on the outcome. He and Mbappé seem blunt, not as airy as usual and make fewer differences. I would play in 4-3-3 and would still bet on the trio Mbappé, Kolo Muani, Dembélé up front, while Rabiot would find, despite Camavinga's good game, his place in midfield. Behind it, I wouldn't change anything. It would piss me off to go to the Euro final without having sent a nice constructed action, a nice goal, a finish…hellip; At some point, it’s not the football I like.

I subscribe to read more