5 top friendlies to watch out for during the international break

#5 Spain vs Russia

La Furia Roja are continuing their evolution and will be a side to watch at Russia

La Roja have been in a state of transition in recent years, with several players belonging to "the golden age" stepping down from the team after extraordinarily successful careers.

Spain haven't exactly lit up the world with performances or scorelines in the recent past, losing 2-0 to Italy in the UEFA Euro 2016 and crashing out of the group stages in Brazil 2014.

Del Bosque stepped down as manager in 2016, with Julen Lopetegui taking his place. To his credit, Lopetegui has built Spain from the bottom , retaining the experienced core of the team - Iniesta, Busquets, Pique and Ramos - while infusing fresh new talent in the side.

Isco, Thiago and Asensio have taken the world by storm in the last couple of years, and seem intent on replicating their form with the national team. Lopetegui also has an excellent David de Gea at his disposal, and possesses an imposing squad. Spain's qualifying campaign exceeded expectations, with the team winning 28 points out of 30.

The match also has an element for significance for Russia, who will be playing at home at the Kretovsky Stadium to prepare themselves for the competition.

The Russians have had the luxury of automatic qualification, but that also means that they are less prepared as a unit than their more illustrious opponents. Spain, similarly, must also find their best starting eleven if they are to scale the heights that their predecessors have conquered in the past decade.