De la Fuente ahead of Saudi Arabia clash: A dilemma between consistency and past revolutions

Those who know Luis de la Fuente well say he's a coach who sticks with what works. After the goalless draw against Cape Verde, the manager sent messages of confidence in the philosophy that has led Spain to an unprecedented 32-match unbeaten streak in official games for any national team. However, he also warned of the need for constant evolution: "The team has to do it. And I, first and foremost."

It seems clear that the starting lineup against Saudi Arabia will not be the same as the one against Cape Verde. The question is how many changes there will be. At the last European Championship, Spain started convincingly with a 3-0 win over Croatia. For the second match, only one change was made: Laporte came in for Nacho in the center of defense.

This tournament has started with a favorable wind. But that hasn't always been the case in Luis de la Fuente's successful runs with the national team. The 2019 U21 European Championship title and the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics both began with setbacks: a loss and a draw, respectively. What did De la Fuente do then? Coincidence or not, in both instances, he radically changed the look of his starting eleven.

In June 2019, Spain kicked off with a 3-1 loss to Italy in Bologna. The second match was against Belgium, decided by a last-gasp goal from Fornals a minute before the end. Between the two games, De la Fuente changed his goalkeeper (Sivera for Unai Simón), left-back (Junior Firpo for Aarón Martín), and made two more changes in midfield, bringing in Mikel Merino and Dani Olmo for Zubeldia and Fabián Ruiz.

The Tokyo Olympics began similarly to the current World Cup: a goalless draw against an African team. Then it was Egypt, now Cape Verde. The Pharaohs' tough play sidelined two players with injuries – Dani Ceballos and Óscar Mingueza. Besides the mandatory changes due to these physical issues, De la Fuente shuffled three more positions. Miranda, Merino, and Marco Asensio were dropped from the team that faced Egypt. The new faces against Australia were Óscar Gil and Marc Cucurella at full-back, as well as Martín Zubimendi, Carlos Soler, and Javi Puado.

De la Fuente's other major success with the national team was the 2015 U19 European Championship. The campaign started with a resounding 3-0 victory over Germany. Between the first and second matches, the coach made only two changes: again at right-back, where Antonio Marín replaced Borja San Emeterio, and on the left wing, with Concha coming in for Pedraza.

The World Cup is a different context. But De la Fuente's message has always been the same: he has enough depth on the bench to make changes to the team without affecting the core idea. Options like Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo are at the forefront. But they are not the only ones. Pedro Porro, to provide more presence on the ball at right-back, or the spark of Yeremy Pino on the wing are possibilities on the table ahead of the match against Saudi Arabia.

MIGUEL ÁNGEL LARA, MARCA