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Fans are not impressed with Spain's starting XI to face Italy in the UEFA Nations League semifinal at the De Grolsch Stadium in Enschede, Netherlands, on Thursday (June 15).
Luis de La Fuente has named his XI ahead of the game. Unai Simon starts between the sticks for Spain. Jesus Navas, Robin Le Normand and Jordi Alba are the four defenders. Mikel Merino, Rodri, Yeremy Pino, Gavi and Rodrigo Moreno are the five midfielders. Alvaro Morata spearheads the attack.
De La Fuente took over from Luis Enrique after La Roja were knocked out of the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by Morocco. He has won one and lost one of two games during his second stint in charge.
Fans, though, are not impressed with the starting XI. One of them reacted by tweeting:
"Most mid team I’ve ever seen they’re so bad."
Another wrote:
"Italy are gonna feast."
Fans think he hasn't named a good XI to face Italy. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions:
What Luis de la Fuente said about his expectations from Spain in Italy clash?
Luis de le Fuente hasn't been in charge of Spain for a long time. The manager, though, is expecting an improved outing in the final four of the Nations League against Italy.
De la Fuente addressed the media ahead of the clash against the Azzurri. He said that improvements have been evident in training, and it's now time to implement that in games (via Outlook India):
“Now we should be closer to what we expect. The team is taking steps forward, little by little, I can see it every day in training.”
He added:
"We haven't had a lot of time, but we will try to be up to the task. I think we can achieve something important. We have a historic opportunity to win a title with two matches.”
The clash against the Azzurri is a litmus test of De la Fuente's prowess as La Roja manager. Whether he can deliver a result and prove his mettle remains to be seen.
