Euro 2020 Qualifiers, Romania 1-2 Spain: 5 Talking Points

#1 Dani Ceballos delivers another divisive display

Ceballos recorded five key passes and again impressed in flashes but again delivered a divisive display

Currently on-loan at Arsenal, Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos has endured a mixed start to the campaign. After excelling against Burnley, he was stifled against Premier League leaders Liverpool in their following fixture and questions have been posed: his technical ability isn't an issue, but is he really that good though?

Well in response to that question, the jury is still out. Judging by this display, you can understand why his career seems like it's at a crossroads and at 23, he should be doing more on a consistent basis.

Here, he wasn't economical in possession against a Romania side who gave Spain too much respect in the early stages, had too many ineffective touches (90) without regular cutting-edge precision around the final third. Playing too conservatively infield saw him isolated, which can occur easily when being deployed on the wing - not his natural position - like he was.

Crucially, he earned the penalty but was actually in the way of an attempted pass meant for Alcacer rather than him, which typifies his overall display. Again he lived up to the low-pain threshold tag earned in recent seasons, going to ground too easily and winning free-kicks that were never really fouls.

Against better, more intelligent opposition, his reluctance to truly commit in duels will be preyed upon - just like against Fabinho and co. at Anfield last month. Despite flashes of his individual ability, he again proved why Real have been reluctant to thrust him into a regular starting role and rather why he's out on-loan in England, to prove he's capable of more.

A prime example was his involvement in Spain's second goal and subsequent activity afterwards. It was his defence-splitting pass that fed an overlapping Jordi Alba, who teed up Alcacer in open space, to double their lead. But aside from that, he was fairly quiet and ineffective for the remainder of the second-half before being replaced (75') for PSG's Pablo Sarabia. Why isn't he more consistent? This was an interesting display, to say the least.