After an impressive debut performance in Berlin, Spain will meet Italy in their final Group B matchup. Fabian Ruiz and Lamine Yamal could prove key figures for La Roja.
Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori and Jorginho both scored five times over the past seven games for Italy, with Mateo Retegui of Genoa seeking to displace Gianluca Scamacca as a starting striker.
Spain: Simon
Luis de la Fuente will likely employ the same starting XI that led Spain to their 3-0 victory against Croatia, meaning Riccardo Calafiori and Robin Le Normand remain as center-backs while Aymeric Laporte continues his role in central defence.
Fabian Ruiz should play in midfield alongside Jorginho and Barella; two goals by Ruiz directly contributed to Spain scoring against Croatia; forwards Rodri and Morata should start again, having both been heavily involved in two European Championship finals with Morata scoring both times.
Dani Carvajal
Spain began Group B competition on the right foot by defeating Croatia 3-0 and could have achieved even greater results had Riccardo Calafiori not turned a Nico Williams cross into his own net.
Carvajal will remain a key member of La Roja’s defence alongside Le Normand and Aymeric Laporte, having already registered one cross (zero accurate), two interceptions, and three tackles in this tournament so far.
Fabian Ruiz will look to build on his performances against Croatia, in which he directly contributed two goals for Spain. It may be that Roma’s Nicolo Barella will form part of his tandem.
Robin Le Normand
Spain will look to make it two wins out of two in Group B when they face Italy, who bounced back from an early scare against Albania to secure a 2-1 victory. Luis de la Fuente’s side are among the favourites to top their pool but cannot afford any slipups against Italy as one of their oldest rivals.
Atletico Madrid defender Robin Le Normand is now fully recovered from a traumatic brain injury sustained during training back in September and ready to bolster their defense alongside teammate Aymeric Laporte.
Aymeric Laporte
Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish side will hope to maintain their impressive start when they meet tournament holders Italy in Gelsenkirchen, but Italy have it in them to thwart La Roja’s impressive attacking power.
Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte will likely return at centre back, with Nacho and Le Normand on either flank. Fabian Ruiz and Pedri are likely to remain as midfielders alongside Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal (average two goal involvements per game since debut). Italy only managed one other starter against Albania: Nicolo Barella started.
Marc Cucurella
After an uneventful first half, Spain finally saw their possession advantage pay dividends when Pedri’s header from Nico Williams’ cross was deflected over the bar by Gianluigi Donnarumma and over to safety. Italy are known for their defensive abilities but Italy may struggle against Luis de la Fuente’s more diverse attacking approach that will prove difficult to contain.
Luciano Spalletti remains committed to his lineup that defeated Albania, selecting Marc Cucurella despite him only playing limited minutes in that match. Cucurella currently ranks ahead of Alex Grimaldo and Dani Olmo on Spalletti’s pecking order list.
Pedri
Luis de la Fuente has decided to keep faith with a side which overpowered Croatia in their opening Group B match, except for one slight alteration – Aymeric Laporte replacing Nacho at centre back.
Pedri trained on Wednesday but is only eligible to come off the bench due to knee ligament sprain he sustained during Italy’s Nations League final win, forcing him to work towards returning to full fitness.
Luciano Spalletti has no new injuries and could field the same team that defeated Albania. Riccardo Calafiori and Dimarco could join Alessandro Bastoni as part of Italy’s defensive unit.
Rodri
Rodri is caught offside, giving Italy the chance to break through. Fabian Ruiz then misses an excellent opportunity on the right wing from an enticing position.
Luis de la Fuente has resisted any temptation to switch to a more defensive style following Spain’s win against Croatia on Tuesday. They meet Italy on Thursday in what will surely be an intense battle of styles.
Luciano Spalletti has kept the same back four from Italy’s win against Albania. Riccardo Calafiori and Alessandro Bastoni form an effective partnership at the back, while Jorginho and Nicolo Barella remain unchanged up front.
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal made history with his debut game for Barca when he became the youngest ever LaLiga player to score two goals at his age – breaking an all-time LaLiga scoring record and breaking it again against Italy on Thursday. He will hope to add one or more when taking on Italy.
Jorge Mendes has assured supporters of the club that their contract with teenager defender will be extended until 2026 – which should put any anxiety to rest about being poached away by other clubs or offered better contracts elsewhere. Furthermore, this teenager poses a big threat against opposing defenses.
Alvaro Morata
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain are in fine form, and Nicolo Barella was one of their stars during their 2-0 victory against Albania. However, his performance is cause for concern since he has yet to score or create quality chances.
Morata has become an indispensable figure for Spain since taking over as captain from Sergio Busquets. Though often whistled by home fans, Morata has proved himself invaluable for La Roja despite their misgivings about him playing up front; he can also switch positions and create overloads alongside his teammates.
Also Read; England National Football Team Vs Italy National Football Team Lineups
Nico Williams
Nico Williams gave his all to Spain’s successful performance against Italy and will look to make another impactful contribution as Luis de la Fuente’s new generation strive for greater success at Euro 2024. Pedri came close to scoring his first goal of the tournament when he received a great cross from Marc Cucurella, but his sidefooted effort hit the upright instead of going in. Morata then fired an effort over from six yards. Four additional minutes remain before we reach full time.
