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Spain are on the course of replicating their exploits of the 2010 World Cup
Although 32 teams across the globe fight to claim the prestigious World Cup trophy, few of them are genuine contenders to lift it. While the usual suspects Brazil, Germany, and France are definitely among the favorites, one team that has somehow slipped under the radar is the Spanish national team.
The team had a terrific qualifying campaign for the World Cup where the Spaniards won 9 games out of 10 and lost none.
La Roja is in Group B of the World Cup, which also consists of Portugal, Morocco, and Iran, and the Spaniards are tipped to top the group at the expense of current European Champions Portugal
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So, without any further ado, here is a look at the 5 reasons why Spain will lift the upcoming World Cup:
#5 Solid Squad
This point is the most obvious one. On paper, Spain has one of the most lethal squads coming into this World Cup.
There is a humongous pool of world-class talent to choose from and the manager Julen Lopetegei is expected to have a hard time figuring out his playing eleven.
In defense, the team has big names such as Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique as the first choice center-backs with Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba as the right-back and left-back respectively.
The man between the posts is going to be none other than David de Gea, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
In midfield, which can be considered as the main strength of this team, the team has Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Koke, Isco, Thiago Alcantara, Saul Niguez and many more starlets. All these players have been regular starters at major European clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona for quite some time now.
Since big games are generally decided by those teams who achieve midfield control, opposition teams will have a hard time playing against the magical midfield of Spain.
In attack, the Spaniards have Diego Costa, Iago Aspas, and Rodrigo Moreno handling the goal-scoring burden with support from wingers Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez.
#4 Recent form
If the recent form is anything to go by, then it might be curtains for any team who faces Spain during the upcoming World Cup
La Roja's last competitive loss came against Italy during the round of 16 in the UEFA Euro 2016. Since then, the team has played a total of 18 games including friendlies and European Qualifiers. In those 18 games, the team won a staggering 13 games and drew a mere 5. Also, those games were not against minnows but were against European heavyweights such as Germany, Italy, etc including a thrashing of Argentina with a thumping scoreline of 6-1.
In European qualifiers, the team played 10 games and won 9 of them, topping group G and scoring a mammoth 36 goals while conceding a mere 3.
#3 A perfect blend of youth and experience
A perfect team is the one, which is a perfect blend of experienced players as well as young, emerging talents. One such instance was the 2014 World Cup-winning German national team.
That team had veterans such as Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm along with bright future prospects such as Toni Kroos and Mario Gotze. In that regard, Spain can be termed as a completely balanced team.
At one hand, the Spaniards have Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, and Andres Iniesta. These players were instrumental in Spain's road to world cup glory way back in 2010. These players have a huge amount of experience and they know what it takes to perform during crunch situations.
On the other hand, the team also consists of Isco, Marco Asensio, etc. who are regularly starting games at big clubs such as Real Madrid. These players have huge potential and can walk into playing eleven of any football team around the world.
Not all the contenders for the World Cup have such a perfect balance of youth and experience, the prime example of that being the current French international team, and the team can count themselves lucky to have such a perfectly balanced squad.
#2 Tactical flexibility
Having a wide array of players, especially in midfield, can be a huge advantage in a tournament like the World Cup, where a team has to face various kinds of opposition. Luckily, the Spanish midfield is one of the best in business amongst the teams participating in the World Cup.
The team can control the midfield like no other team can. The likes of Isco, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta are not only press resistant, but also are great passers of the ball.
Moreover, this team can quickly shift to a counter-attacking system with the likes of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez operating on the wings and facilitating quick transitions from defense to attack, as demonstrated by their recent exploits with Real Madrid this season.
With such versatility in their attack, La Roja has the ability to play various formations and it will be interesting to see what kind of formation does the team deploy once the tournament commences.
#1 Not being over-reliant on one individual
Although football is a team sport, many times a situation arises when the team needs its talisman to step up and deliver. For Barcelona, it has been Lionel Messi for years and there are many such instances, such as Mohamed Salah for Liverpool this season.
But depending on a single person to deliver the goods when the going gets tough does more harm than good. It was evident during the FIFA 2014 World Cup semi-final between Germany and Brazil. The Brazilian national team was without the services of Neymar due to an injury and was unable to challenge the rampant German side. The match went in favor of Germany with a thumping 7-1 scoreline.
Even during the Champions League final this season, Liverpool were going toe-to-toe with Real Madrid until Mohamed Salah had to leave the pitch in tears after suffering a shoulder injury, and Liverpool ended up losing the match 3-1.
While on the other hand, this team has many players to take over the mantle from their teammates if an emergency occurs. And this is the biggest reason which can lead Spain to the World Cup glory this summer.
What are your opinions on Spain's chances in the World Cup this time around? Tell us in the comments below!
