Spain coach tries to find a way to play both of Barcelona’s superstars in midfield
The reigning European Champions return to action later this week as Spain begin their campaign in the UEFA Nations League.
Drawn alongside Serbia, Denmark and Switzerland, La Roja will have their work cut out for them with three tricky opponents.
Luis de la Fuente has called up four Barcelona stars for the event with Pedri, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres all making the cut. The dilemma for the manager, however, lies in his selection of the midfield.
A clash of systems
The Spanish tactician won the recently concluded Euros deploying a 4-2-3-1 setup that showed remarkable stability and versatility. With Yamal and Williams occupying the wings, that left room for three midfielders.
Rodri and Fabian Ruiz served as his first-choice double pivot, while Pedri occupied a role as an attacking midfielder behind the striker.
The 2021 Golden Boy winner did a fabulous job in the position until his tournament was cut short by Toni Kroos’ rash tackle. The player who replaced him in the lineup, Dani Olmo, went on to finish as the top scorer.
De la Fuente thus faces a dilemma now of how to accommodate both Pedri and Olmo on the field to maximise their output.
Two possible solutions
If the national team manager intends to play both Barcelona stars in his starting lineup, his first option would be to learn from Hansi Flick’s system which also happens to be a 4-2-3-1.
The German tactician has chosen to deploy Pedri as part of the double pivot and place Olmo as the natural attacking midfielder.
The former, while starting deep, often pushes forward in attack leaving his partner Marc Casado with the defensive burden.
Should De la Fuente opt for such a system, Fabian Ruiz would be the player to be sacrificed. While Rodri will be tasked with the defensive responsibility, Pedri and Olmo can play similar roles as they do for Barcelona.
A second, more novel option, would be to place Olmo as a ‘false 9’, especially with Alvaro Morata out injured.
Dropping into the spaces in the box and acting like a goalscoring playmaker, Olmo could start in Morata’s place giving Pedri a spot as the mediapunta.
Source: SPORT
