90min

Spain predicted lineup vs Costa Rica - World Cup

By Grey Whitebloom

Luis Enrique played in three World Cups as a player for Spain
Luis Enrique played in three World Cups as a player for Spain / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
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Spain's bid to replicate the success of 2010 begins against Costa Rica on Wednesday afternoon.

At the end of September, Spain's manager Luis Enrique tweeted: “Just to put things in context…” above a table which showed ten European nations and their records in the last four international competitions; 2020 Nations League, Euro 2020, World Cup qualification and 2022 Nations League.

As highlighted - quite literally - by the table’s colour-coded scheme, Spain were the only team to reach the final four of each competition.

Here's the XI Enrique may deploy to start the journey which may lead to another column in his Excel spreadsheet.

Spain predicted lineup vs Costa Rica (4-3-3)

Pablo Martin Paez Gaviria 'Gavi'
Gavi is the youngest scorer in the history of Spain's men's national team / David Ramos/GettyImages

GK: Unai Simon - Spain's first-choice keeper for the last two years benefitted from a succession of circumstance and misfortune for his colleagues King Ralph would be embarrassed by to get his chance in Athletic Club's first team in 2018.

RB: Dani Carvajal - One of just two Real Madrid players in the squad - the lowest tally of Los Blancos players in a World Cup party for Spain since 1950, when Luis Molowny was the sole representative.

CB: Aymeric Laporte - Unusually, Spain have an abundance of left-footed centre-backs. Even the right-footed Eric Garcia is more used to the left-side of a partnership. Just as in Euro 2020, Laporte's ambipedal qualities may be called upon again.

CB: Pau Torres - “I had to get tougher as I moved through the age groups so I did a lot of work against inflatable body dummies," Torres revealed during the pandemic. "I did it so much I got bored of hitting them.”

LB: Jordi Alba - The former forward idolised Barcelona's Hristo Stoichkov while he was in the club's academy before the Catalans let him go for being too small. Eventually Alba found his way back to Camp Nou, winning his only Champions League title under the stewardship of his current international manager, Enrique.

CM: Pedri - At the last two international tournaments Pedri has appeared in - Euro 2020 and that summer's Olympics - he finished with the most passes into the final third of anyone in the competition.

CM: Sergio Busquets - The second-youngest Spanish player in 2010 is now the squad's oldest member and captain.

CM: Gavi - Enrique captured the infectious effervescence of the teenage midfielder when he said: "He’s an erupting volcano and it’s hard not to fall in love with him."

RW: Ferran Torres - No player has made more appearances for Spain since Enrique took the helm than Torres.

ST: Alvaro Morata - "I am not going to compare players," Enrique began before immediately contradicting himself, "but on a defensive level, no-one beats Morata in Europe."

LW: Nico Williams - His older brother Inaki is the attacking spearhead of Ghana's national team in Group H.

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