It wasn’t the start to the World Cup that anyone expected for Spain, which opened as the favorites to win the tournament for the second time.
La Roja took a shocking 0-0 draw against Capo Verde despite owning 74 percent of the game’s possession. They did everything with the ball but put it in the net, putting seven shots on goal while completing 91.8 percent of their passes — the highest clip of Matchday 1.
Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozhina delivered an inspiring performance to keep this scoreless, but then again, Spain only generated two big chances.
Is there enough to believe that it can change in Sunday’s match against Saudi Arabia?
Spain remains heavy -270 favorites to pull away with Group H and are -1000 on the three-way moneyline against the Saudis.
The Green Falcons also settled for a 1-1 draw in their opener with Uruguay, showcasing a mid-to-low block that forced the Uruguayans into low-value possession.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa pushed numbers forward seeking vertical pressure and was rewarded with the lead in the first half. After the break, it was a completely different match as Uruguay raised the tempo and pinned the Green Falcons deep into their own box until finding the tying score.
Saudi Arabia simply doesn’t have the attack to threaten Spain.
With only one or fewer goals in seven of their last eight internationals and only 0.66 xG against Uruguay, Spain will have control in midfield and it’s unlikely we’ll see it be punished in open play.
The complementary profiles of Spain’s elite midfield trio in Rodri, Pedri and Fabián Ruiz shut down transitions against them while trapping opponents in long defensive sequences.
Since winning the World Cup in 2010, Spain has been nothing more than underwhelming in this tournament. Even so, they’re far more accustomed to this high-stakes stage than the Saudis, and the experience will show itself tenfold for a critical three points.
THE PLAY: Spain -2.5 (-104, FanDuel)
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
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