Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara has laughed off suggestions their white kit is a jinx as they prepare to take on Italy at Euro 2016 on Monday.
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Earlier this week, UEFA revealed it would relay the surface in Lille ahead of the last 16 stage with grass being transported from the Netherlands.
Giorgio Chiellini will be facing a familiar foe when his Italy side lines up against Spain in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday.
England has a side of fast, young, hungry players who still lack single-mindedness.
That final warm-up against the European minnows was the final straw for many naysayers, with Georgia simply getting every player behind the ball, allowing Spain to have all the possession, without being able to do anything with it. Diego Simeone would have been proud.
After Candreva played the full 90 minutes in Italy’s first two games against Belgium and Sweden, he sat out the final group stage match against Ireland with an apparent thigh injury.
Kicking off the campaign this saturday is Switzerland and Poland, before a meeting between Wales and Northern Ireland. If there’s one pretournament favorite who aren’t complaining about the way the draw has panned out, it’s Marc Wilmots’ side. “Forget what it says on paper, only what happens on the pitch counts”.
“Those of us on the inside have to keep our feet firmly on the ground, know what to do at each moment and be realistic rather than optimistic or pessimistic”, he added. So lets start by talking about this highly anticipated tie between two of the favourites to win Euro 2016.
“That was the only time we didn’t give them a good game”, he said.
England fans, meanwhile, celebrated Iceland’s late victor on Wednesday as if it were one of their own, but must now be wary of the same old story from the group stage. They have also done something which comes close to the story of Leicester City, if not beating it. The advantage they have, is they will go into the game with no fear as they have nothing to lose whatsoever.
Defending champion Spain faces Italy in the last 16 but is also being backed to reach the last four. It wouldn’t be a complete shock to see one or two of their bigger names held back for the battle with the Spain-Italy victor. “I did not have a lot of opportunity to play him at Real Madrid, but he is the kind of guy who comes alive in the box, like Robert Lewandowski”, the former Real Madrid head coach said. So far in France, the Germans have not been convincing, even though, slowly, a team appears to be forming, one that may even be worthy of a world champion.
Having also lost a Confederations Cup semi-final to Spain on penalties in 2013, the balance is tipped decidedly in Spain’s favour.
There have been just 69 goals in 36 games at an average of 1.92 per match, the lowest level since Euro 1992 – which would have proved a forgettable tournament if it had not been for the dashing Danes.
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“We should stop looking for controversy where there is none and try to win the Euros together”.
