Spain’s camp has moved through the international window with the feeling of a deep squad being tested rather than stretched. Luis de la Fuente made nine changes to the side used against Croatia, yet the reshaped XI still produced a controlled win on Saturday, with only Lamine Yamal and Álex Baena retaining their places.
The first half set the tone, Spain’s superiority clear enough to keep the result largely out of doubt. The second period was less sharp and brought a degree of relaxation, but the side never truly lost control, even when the prospect of a 2-2 scoreline briefly appeared possible.
Quick facts
- Lamine Yamal and Álex Baena were the only starters retained after nine Spain changes.
- Iván Fresneda and Roberto Fernández made their senior international debuts as starters on 3 October.
- David Raya, Fran García, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte and Yéremy Pino also played their first minutes of this camp.
- Josep Martínez and Carlos Espí are the only remaining squad members yet to feature.
- Spain’s final fixture of the window is against Croatia in Split on Tuesday.
The changes gave De la Fuente another useful look at a player pool that has expanded across the leading clubs of Spain and Europe. The coach has been able to rotate heavily without a notable drop in the collective level, reinforcing the sense that competition for places is driving the group forward.
Fresneda and Roberto Fernández will remember the date. Both entered the senior side from the opening whistle, while Raya, Fran García, Le Normand, Laporte and Pino were introduced after having watched the earlier part of the camp from the sidelines.
That leaves Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez and forward Carlos Espí awaiting their chance before players return to their clubs. Martínez was called up because Joan García was unavailable, while Espí stepped up from the Spain Under-21 group after Ferran was forced to return to Paris through injury.
If both are used in Split, every player still under De la Fuente’s command will have taken part on the pitch during the break. The Croatia match offers Spain one more opportunity to close the camp with the breadth of its selection options fully on display.
