June 20, GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany Spain, the team they face today, are undeterred by the way the defending champions Italy won their opening Euro 2024 match against Albania with an atypically offensive style of play, according to manager Luis de la Fuente.

He made it plain that his team is getting ready for something more like a pitched battle rather than a delicate game.

We’re ready to work in an office for a day, get dirty, and dig deep in a quarry. At a press conference yesterday, De la Fuente stated, “I’m ready for everything.”

We won’t be shocked since we are aware of the type of game they play and their level of competition. I anticipate an assertive, powerful Italy that will aim to maintain possession. In the group stage, this is the most significant match.

Spain and Italy are tied for first place in Group B after Spain’s 3-0 thumping of Croatia. The winner of this group will advance to the round of 16. Albania and Croatia drew 2-2 Sunday, leaving them tied for last place with one point apiece.

The rivalry between Spain and Italy is long-standing; since 1960, no two nations have faced off more frequently in European competitions as they do today, marking the eighth meeting between them.

De la Fuente said that his team is playing a different kind of football in Germany than what the supporters are used to as they get ready to face off in the tournament’s fifth iteration.

Compared to their possession-based “tiki-taka” style, which won them the World Cup in 2010 and the European championship in 2008 and 2012, De la Fuente thinks both sides’ 2024 lineups will play faster and more directly.

We have a lot in common; they are a young squad with a new coach and a lot of young players, and they play with a fierce competitiveness. De la Fuente remarked, “Seeing them is like gazing in the mirror.

They are a group that is growing and has excellent camaraderie. With two classic sides competing, the match will be well balanced. This match is a classic in football; it might easily be the World Cup or Euro final.

Fabian Ruiz, a midfielder for Spain who previously played for Napoli under Luciano Spalletti, the head coach of Italy, expressed De la Fuente’s sentiments about the four-time World Cup winners Azzurri.

“We are aware that Italy is a competitive and combative squad. Because he likes his teams to respect ball possession, Spalletti has given them a hint of quality, Fabian said at a press conference.

“Spalletti enjoys maintaining possession of the ball while applying pressure high to eject the opposition. He desires an assertive Italy.

De la Fuente stated that midfielder Rodri and captain Alvaro Morata, who sustained injuries against Croatia, were prepared to play against Italy even if he did not want to disclose his starting lineup.

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