A New Era for La Roja under Luis de la Fuente
Get ready for an exciting match this weekend as Spain’s new head coach, Luis de la Fuente, leads La Roja into battle against Norway in their opening Euro 2024 qualification fixture. This will be De la Fuente’s first match in charge after taking over from Luis Enrique following Spain’s disappointing exit in the last-16 stage of the 2022 World Cup.
The Spanish team is entering a new era under De la Fuente, and there have been several changes made to the squad. Despite being fancied as a dark horse in the Qatar World Cup, Spain struggled to impress and will be looking to bounce back and secure qualification for the Euro 2024. They are in Group A alongside Cyprus, Georgia, Norway, and Scotland, and are expected to top this particular section. Norway, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and have not featured in the competition since 1998. The Lions have also been missing from the finals of a European Championship since 2000, which is a clear indication of the challenge facing head coach Stale Solbakken.
Only 11 members of the Spain squad from the World Cup have been retained, making this a much-changed outfit from their last competition in Qatar. David Garcia and Joselu will be looking to earn their first caps, while Iago Aspas is back in the squad due to his impressive form for Celta Vigo this season. Meanwhile, David Raya may potentially start as the goalkeeper, given Unai Simon’s absence through injury. Unfortunately, Pedri has had to withdraw due to a hamstring issue.
Alvaro Morata, the experienced striker, will captain Spain in at least their next two matches, leading the line for the home team in this game. With Spain entering a new era under De la Fuente, it will be exciting to see how the new squad performs and what changes are made to their playing style.
However, the Norwegian team will feel confident in their ability to secure a top-two position in this group, with standout players such as Martin Odegaard and Erling Braut Haaland providing inspiration, despite Haaland’s absence due to a groin injury. Spain has won one and lost five of their previous eight matches against Norway, but the points were shared in a 1-1 draw when they last met during qualification for Euro 2020. So, there’s everything to play for in this upcoming match, and both teams will be looking to start their Euro 2024 qualification campaign with a win.
Norway will not be an easy opponent, even without the dynamic Erling Braut Haaland, who has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a groin injury. The Norwegian team will be looking to stand out players like Martin Odegaard to inspire them to victory and claim a top-two position in the group.
Don’t miss the action as Spain and Norway clash in what promises to be an intense encounter on Saturday evening!
