Scouting The Big Four – Spain

World Cup and European Cup holders Spain qualified in straight forward fashion for the tournament topping their undersized qualifying group and beating France to first place, scoring 14 goals and conceding just three in the process.

Weather conditions

Spain have been drawn in a tough group along with Holland and Chile. Fortunately, the weather shouldn’t play a part with all three games being played away from the heat of the north east, the only early kickoff is in the relative cool climate of Curitiba.

Starting line-up

4-2-3-1: GK Cassilas (c); RB Azpilicueta, CB Ramos, CB Pique, CB Alba; DM Busquets, DM Alonso, CM Xavi, LM Inesta, RM Pedro; CF Fabregas.

The Spanish squad is  well stocked with top quality players, but with such a huge array of talent to choose from predicted their starting line-up will be difficult. With goalkeeper Victor Valdes injured, Iker Casillas who has spent the majority of the year on the bench for Madrid will keep the gloves for the national side. Three of the back four are certain starters in Pique, Ramos and Alba. An injury to Arbeloa has left the right back spot up for grabs, with Athletico Madrid’s Juanfran or Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta vying for the starting role.

Sergio Busquets will patrol the area just in front defence in the holding role, the question is will manager Vicente Del Bosque revert to a double pivot strategy, which won them the Euros two years ago by pairing Busquets with Alonso. Or will he go with the single holding man in a more fluid 4-3-3 that was played at the Confederations Cup last summer (due in part to Alonso’s injury). Xavi will likely be in the starting midfield three but he has often been the man to make way for substitutes in recent tournaments. Age is catching up with the Barcelona legend and despite his fantastic skill set he may not play as many minutes as we would like this tournament. Cesc Fabregas could be the man to steal his place unless he is pushed further forward in the false nine role. Iniesta is a definite starter most probably on the left. Whilst the other flank is up for grabs, Pedro top scorer in qualifying should have done enough to earn this spot but David Silva, despite an  injury hit season for Man City, has shown plenty of form for the English champions.

The main question surrounds the striker position, in the past Spain have played with a traditional striker like Fernando Torres or David Villa, but experimented with the false 9 during the Euros. Soldado was drafted in to play as the traditional striker in the Confederations Cup last summer (but hasn’t made the World Cup squad), which suggests that if Del Bosque prefers a traditional striker, he may look to newly nationalised Diego Costa to lead the line.

Fantasy breakdown

Inesta is the obvious target as he offers the combination of consistent starts allied with potential for huge point totals. As one of the best midfielders in world football and still in his prime he has the ability to lay on plenty of assists and score crucial goals this summer.

Jordi Alba is the only other Spanish player to offer that combination of starts allied with explosive points potential, ready to bomb forward at any moment he scored in the euro 2012 final and scored two more in the Confederations Cup. With a record of five goals in 25 games for the national team allied with Spain’s ability to pick up clean sheets at major tournament Jordi Alba may worth every penny of what will surely be a huge price tag. With the right back spot open to competition there is a chance whoever wins it will be priced cheaper than any other Spanish defender thus offering a cheap route into Spanish backline.

With Spain amongst the favourites there are a few gambles possibly worth taking even if game time isn’t assured. Pedro was top scorer in qualifiers with four and should get the start though could be classed as a forward in most games. Fabregas has made huge progress since joining Barcelona, once a peripheral figure in the Spanish squad he is now a fixture in the national team either playing as false nine or attacking midfield. If Fabregas is again selected in that false nine role he could be a nice out of position prospect. The final gamble will be Diego Costa, if indeed Del Bosque opts for a traditional striker over the false 9, it will be the Brazilian born forward that will be given the chance to lead the line. Costa will take his fantastic club form this season 36 goals in 50 games into the World Cup and with the likes of Xavi, Inesta, Fabregas and Pedro teeing him up for a hat full of chances surely plenty of goals will follow.