Next up in our Group D rundown is Spain. The defending champions get up and running against Czech Republic on Monday June 13 at 2pm, then take on Turkey four days later at 8pm before finishing their trio of fixtures with a showdown against Croatia at 8pm on Tuesday June 21.
Road to Qualification
Vicente del Bosque’s men arrive at the tournament as the very comfortable winners of qualifying Group C that also included the likes of Slovakia and Ukraine.
Spain won nine and lost one of their ten fixtures, scoring a total of 23 goals in total, though 14 of those arrived in three matches against Luxembourg and Macedonia.
Defensively, they were exceptional and shipped just three goals – after a shock 2-1 defeat in Slovakia, they embarked on an eight-match run of victories without conceding a single goal.
Spain have played six friendlies over the last 12 months, supplementing wins over Bosnia (3-1), England (2-0), Costa Rica (2-1) and South Korea (6-1 earlier this week) with a couple of draws against Italy (1-1) and Romania (0-0) to take their unbeaten run to 11 matches.
Aside from the midweek demolition of South Korea, though, Del Bosque’s side have proven far from prolific in the final third – they scored more than twice in just two of 13 fixtures prior to Wednesday’s clash.
Most Appearances Sergio Busquets (10), Jordi Alba (9), Paco Alcacer, Gerard Pique, Pedro, David Silva (8), Iker Casillas, Santi Cazorla, Koke, Juanfran (7), Isco, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Ramos (6)
Most goals Paco Alcacer (5), David Silva (3), Sergio Busquets, Santi Cazorla, Pedro (2)
Most assists Jordi Alba, David Silva (3), Cesc Fabregas, Koke, Juanfran (2)
The Key Targets
Spain’s superb defensive record in qualifying means that their backline regulars are priced firmly in the premium bracket across the Fantasy games.
At a cost of 7.0, Jordi Alba is the most expensive defender in the Uefa game after producing a goal and three assists in qualifying – that attacking potential has persuaded 8% of managers to snap up the Barcelona left-back. Delving into the underlying numbers, Alba also looks a good shout for the DraftKings game – he sat third for crosses and second for interceptions.
Elsewhere at the back, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos, at 6.5 apiece, are slightly less expensive options with a security of starts. The latter’s threat in and around the box plays a significant part in his 25% ownership – he produced eight attempts inside the box to Pique’s two and found the net on one occasion.
Sitting in over 12% of Uefa teams, Andres Iniesta is the most popular Spain midfielder despite an indifferent campaign that produced just a single goal in five appearances. With just one goal and two assists for Barcelona in 2015/16, he may struggle to justify a 8.0 price tag, though Iniesta does have a habit of turning up for his country when it matters most.
David Silva comes in at a lofty 10.0 after bagging three goals in the qualifiers. Afforded more minutes than any attacker by Del Bosque, the City midfielder he sat first for both shots and efforts inside the area and second for key passes in the group stages.
Cesc Fabregas is likely to be handed a central midfield berth though his prospects would obviously take a turn for the better if he’s utilised as a “false nine” instead. Available for just 7.0, the Chelsea man created more chances than any Spain player in qualifying and takes most dead-ball duties when on the pitch. Like Silva, he was also amongst the goals in midweek.
After scoring twice in each of the last couple of friendlies, it would be a major surprise if Nolito is now overlooked for the role on the left of the front three. Kind on the budget at just 6.0, he’s frustratingly classified as a forward in Uefa, though may well provide us with a valid budget enabler if he can retain his form.
Del Bosque sprung a surprise when naming his squad after omitting Paco Alcacer – their top scorer in qualifying – along with the likes of Diego Costa and Fernando Torres. If Spain line up with a lone striker formation, the role up front looks set to be between Aritz Aduriz and Alvaro Morata, then, though the latter seems to have leapt ahead in the pecking order after producing two goals and an assist against the Koreans. Priced at 8.5 and owned by 8% of Uefa managers, Morata could ultimately prove excellent value for money if he emerges as Del Bosque’s first-choice for the duration of the tournament, though it’s worth noting that the Korea match was his first start in three. Spain’s weekend team sheet against Georgia is likely to determine many managers’ plans.
The Long Shots
Sergio Busquets’ defensive numbers bode well for the DraftKings game. The Barcelona man is his nation’s number one for successful tackles and interceptions and even found the net twice during qualifying, albeit from just three attempts on target.
After starting seven times in qualifying, Juanfran seemed to have cemented the right-back berth, though the recent displays of Hector Bellerin raise enough doubt to render him a slight risk. If he can regain his role, though, the Atletico Madrid defender could be one to consider at just 5.5 – he was first for crosses and created more scoring chances than Alba in over 100 minutes less pitch time.
Upcoming Friendlies
Spain vs Georgia (June 7)
Euro 16 Statistics Now Available
Our Members Area now contains full Opta data for all the 24 participating nations in Euro 16. It includes statistics covering the Qualifying Rounds and all the friendlies for the last 12-months – we will also be providing statistics throughout the tournament from June 10, updated minutes after the final whistle of each match.
This Euro 16 statistics are provided in addition to the regular Premier League season package. New memberships are now available for the pre-season price of just £12.50 and will expire on June 1 2017. Full details on the benefits of membership can be found here.
Registered user can upgrade here. New users can register as a member here.
Further Analysis
Group A – Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland.
Group B England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales.
Group C Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine.
Group D Croatia, Czech Republic
