FIFA World Cup 2018, Portugal vs Spain: Five things to watch out for in the match

#4 The Spanish defensive wall

Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique will be pivotal to Spain's run-up to the title

Spain possesses one of the best defenses of all the teams that are competing in the tournament.

They had a solid UEFA World Cup qualifying campaign in which their rock-solid defense conceded a meager three goals and their flamboyant attack scored a staggering 34 goals.

The two most reliable center-backs in world football - captain Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique do a wonderful job of nullifying the opposition attacks.

The return of Dani Carvajal from injury greatly boosts Spain's chance of winning the cup, because he is one of the finest right-backs in the game right now.

Jordi Alba is a veteran whose pace and crossing skills make him almost impossible to deal with. Cesar Azpilicueta's versatility to function as a wing-back or a center-back makes him a very reliable player.

Nacho, Alvaro Odriozola and Nacho Monreal are really good players and can be trusted to perform whenever their services are required.