Although until now it is impossible for Luis de la Fuente to give clues to the rival about his lineups, there are players with whom the Spain coach cannot hide his preferences. This is the case of Rodri, the team’s lighthouse; Morata, the captain; and also Aymeric Laporte. The central defender returned to the axis of the defense, cleared up doubts about his state of form and led a defense impossible for Italy to beat: four shots for Spain’s 19, only one between the three posts (for seven). In the classic against the Azzurra, the Red team wins and Laporte closes the wall.
1
Unai Simón, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Robin Le Normand, Dani Carvajal, Pedri, Fabián Ruiz, Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Álvaro Morata, Nico Williams, Ferran Torres (Lamine Yamal, min. 70), Álex Baena (Pedri, min. 70), Mikel Oyarzabal (Álvaro Morata, min. 77), Ayoze Pérez (Nico Williams, min. 77) and Mikel Merino (Fabián Ruiz, min. 93)
0
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Federico Dimarco, Nicolò Barella, Davide Frattesi, Jorginho, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Gianluca Scamacca, Federico Chiesa, Andrea Cambiaso (Davide Frattesi, min. 45), Bryan Cristante (Jorginho, min. . 45), Mattia Zaccagni (Federico Chiesa, min. 63), Mateo Retegui (Gianluca Scamacca, min. 63) and Giacomo Raspadori (Lorenzo Pellegrini, min. 81)
Goals
1-0 min. 54: Riccardo Calafiori
Referee Slavko Vincic
Yellow cards
Gianluigi Donnarumma (min. 14), Cristante (min. 45), Rodrigo (min. 46), Le Normand (min. 68), Dani Carvajal (min. 95)
Since he jumped from La Rojita to La Roja, De la Fuente never repeated a lineup in his 16 games in charge of the senior team. He does not argue technical or superstitious reasons. “It’s the way to keep the players engaged. “Everyone thinks they can play,” they remember from the Spanish coaching staff.
And, when it seemed that in the 17th duel De la Fuente would break the streak and model the same eleven that had debuted with a win in the Euro Cup against Croatia, Nacho was dropped from the starting lineup against Italy. “Muscle discomfort,” they explained from the Federation. “The inconveniences are small,” said Pablo Amo, assistant coach of La Roja. “We believe that the well-being of the players always, always, comes first. That’s why Laporte starts this time,” added De la Fuente’s collaborator. The doubts about Laporte’s physical condition ended, then. The center back, with the coach’s permission, had later arrived at the Red team’s training camp in Las Rozas.
After taking refuge in the tranquility of the Saudi League, there were certain doubts about Laporte’s pace in the face of the demanding and physical Euro Cup. Doubts that increased when the center-back disappeared from Spain’s training sessions in Donaueschingen. “I’m fine, top,” Laporte assured his acquaintances, at the same time that he was not working alongside his colleagues. “He has not been injured, he has discomfort; For me he is one of the best in his position. Let’s see if we can get out of that debate,” Luis De la Fuente defended, with great insistence, to Laporte.
This Wednesday, a week after starting to feel the discomfort, Laporte trained with the group. A day later, at Schalke’s stadium, the center back appeared in the eleven. And he didn’t clash, on the contrary. He once again formed a pair with Le Normand, the central duo, which debuted against Italy in the semifinal of the last Nations League, the most used by De la Fuente since the Riojan has taken control of the absolute team.
“Passionate”
“One of the key things we have practiced in training this week is that the heart must be in tune and in tune with the brain. In other words: you have to be passionate, but also intelligent,” explains Pablo Amo, in the preview. No better example than Laporte.
He forgot the buzz around him and silenced the doubts, concentrated on the field, impassable for the forward Scamacca – they battled in a tough physical fight -, serious in the prelude to the game when he waited in the locker room tunnel of the Veltins-Arena that emulates to a mining gallery, a tribute to the industry that dominated the Ruhr basin, which has disappeared in Gelsenkirchen since 2000.
De la Fuente’s confidence in the former Manchester City centre-back, now in Arabia, does not disappear in La Roja. The coach protected him in the press room and, as soon as he could, he also defended him on the field. “If it had been up to him, he would have played against Croatia,” said the Spain coach. It happened, however, that he did not want to risk the premiere with his central fetish. But against Italy it was time to recover him for the cause. Of course, he benefited from Nacho’s annoyance. And Laporte did not fail.
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