Fifa World Cup final: what factors favour Argentina, what factors favour Spain
Looking beyond Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, what are the strengths that help title holders Argentina and European champions Spain?
Spain against Argentina: two of football’s powerhouses are set to battle for the most prestigious trophy in the world game.
Sunday’s World Cup final in East Rutherford, just outside New York, has much more to offer than just the showdown between superstars Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
Here is a look at what speaks in favour of defending champions Argentina and what speaks in favour of European champions Spain.
What can help Spain?
Defensive strength: Spain have conceded just one goal on their way to the final, in their 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium. Before that, goalkeeper Unai Simón went 649 minutes without conceding a goal, setting a World Cup record.
Left back Marc Cucurella, in particular, stands out from the defensive unit as a tireless fighter. But his counterpart on the opposite flank, Pedro Porro, also has a major impact on the game and scored his first two international goals at this World Cup. This partnership helped Spain shut down France’s magical offence in the semi-finals.
Flexibility: Spain’s style of play is focused on possession and control, but that is not all. One of the things that Luis de la Fuente’s team can do really well is to adapt to any situation, according to captain Rodri.
“We’re a very well-rounded team, and that’s why we’re here,” the midfielder emphasised. The 30-year-old expects an extremely physical match against Argentina.