The pressure is big. Spain is the most successful country, along with Germany in the EURO’s – The Red Fury has won three titles so far, including two consecutive ones (2008-2012), and the fans back home are anxious to see their team win the tournament for the fourth time. Also, they love the tradition: Each time Spain have won their quarter-final, they have gone on to lift the trophy.Copenhagen spectacle! 2018 World Cup runners-up are heading home with Spain scoring five once againAnd they are favorites against Switzerland, but apart from a 5-3 Croatia win, the Red Fury was pale during the competition. That brought a lot of criticism from the public (both fans, pundits and media), who had their ideas about who should start and how the team should play. And the fact that 14 players are not currently playing in Spain also didn’t help Enrique. “The criticism seems to me to be normal, we live it from within. The environment of Spain is very critical, demanding. It is a shame. The press is not teaming up. That is why it is more complicated with Spaink to win titles. We achieved it with our generation, but it is complicated” said Spanish and Barca legend Xavi yesterday.🇪🇸 After his blistering finish in the last round, Álvaro Morata now has 21 goals in 44 Spain games 👊Will he score against Switzerland? 🤔#EURO2020 | @AlvaroMorata pic.twitter.com/1BDXkF6CiG— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 1, 2021 And it’s true. But current Spanish coach Luis Enrique seems to have no problem with criticism – he just ignores it. After Alvaro Morata’s misses in the first two games and threats he received over the social media, Spanish manager stuck with him and he repayed with a goal against Croatia in the knockout stage. Enrique was also brave to push young Pedri into the starting line up. Barca forward became the youngest Spanish player to appear in a EURO final tournament match when he started the game against Sweden aged 18 years and 201 days, but according to Morata, he looks like he’s 40. “I was amazed by Pedri. Both Pedri and Eric García. He had a difficult year and I looked at him, giving a very high level in the national team. And you see Pedri, he plays and seems to be 40 years old. There are people and players who need a long time to manage emotions, manage pressure and become strong in some things and there are others who take it as standard. You cannot buy that, you can improve over time” said Morata. Wanga seeks redemption against Gor Mahia after Leopards lossUnlike the other quarter final match, where Belgium and Italy are playing a derby match, Spain is expected to win against Switzerland, despite the fact that Xhaka and his teammates defeated current world champion France in the last game. Switzerland have managed only one win in their 22 fixtures against Spain– although they have lost only one of the last four games between the sides.”It’s going to be a very complicated match. As a group, for how they attack and defend, they are a very good team and I predict a very difficult game for us … I expect very similar tactics from what Mr Petković used against us in the Nations League. They are opponents that don’t gamble on throwing everything at you, that know exactly what they are doing. They attack and defend well, they play really well as a team and they make matches difficult for their opponent“ said Luis Enrique ahead of the match. 1,924 – Granit Xhaka has completed 181 forward passes at EURO 2020, accounting for a total progressive distance of 1,924 metres; the most of any midfielder remaining in the competition. Director. #SUI #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/QQ5WLgT5sw— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 30, 2021 Already outsiders, Switzerland will be further weakened by the absence of Granit Xhaka. The Swiss and Arsenal midfielder is serving a one match suspension, so the leader becomes another Albanian turned into a Swiss – Xherdan Shaqiri. “I am very proud to lead the team in such an important match, and I want to show my skills and help the team. We have shown that we don’t only defend and can score more than one goal. If we show our football on the pitch, everything is possible. It doesn’t mean I have had a bad game if I don’t score or provide an assist, as I help out a lot defensively and that is important for the team” said Liverpool winger. Predicted line-ups:Switzerland: Sommer; Elvedi, Akanji, Rodríguez; Widmer, Freuler, Zakaria, Zuber; Shaqiri; Embolo, SeferovicSpain: Unai Simon; Azpilicueta, Eric García, Laporte, Alba; Koke, Busquets, Pedri; Sarabia, Morata, Ferran TorresEuropean Championship, Knockout stage19:00 Switzerland – Spain21:00 Belgium – Italy
