Spain and Sweden’s clash in Group E of EURO 2020 was played at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville on Monday night. EURO 2020 marks the first time that Luis Enrique is leading Spain at a major tournament, and after all the problems that plagued their 2018 World Cup campaign, La Roja came into this tournament with some more certainty, even though there has been some criticism levelled at the former Barcelona manager already for not having a single Real Madrid player in the squad. Aymeric Laporte was a last-minute inclusion after he switched international allegiance from France, and he will be a vital piece of the puzzle for Spain, especially with Sergio Ramos not being picked due to injury.
Meanwhile, Sweden have had issues of their own Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his return to international football, only to suffer an injury that ruled him out of the tournament. This may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Swedes, but their preparation for this match was certainly hit hard by the news that Dejan Kulusevski had tested positive for COVID-19.
Spain registered 16 shots and 82% possession in this match but failed to put the ball past Robin Olsen, leading to the first goalless draw so far at the tournament. Was this down to bad luck, or are there some serious issues that Spain need to fix? This tactical analysis explains Spain’s major problems against Sweden without solving these, they will struggle to break down low blocks throughout EURO 2020.
Lineups
Spain opted for their conventional 4-3-3 lineup with Rodrigo Hernández as the holding midfielder in the absence of Sergio Busquets, who had tested positive for COVID-19 before the tournament started. Enrique gave 18-year-old Pedri a surprise start in midfield, ahead of the likes of Thiago Alcântara and Fabián Ruiz, but the rest of the team was largely as expected, with Laporte and Pau Torres as the central defensive pair, Marcos Llorente at right-back, and Alvaro Morata as the lone striker.
Sweden lined up in a 4-4-2 as usual. Without Kulusevski, Sebastian Larsson started with his AIK teammate – Mikael Lustig on the right side. Janne Anderssons preference for experience in the lineup could also be seen at the back, where Victor Lindelöf partnered Marcus Danielson at the centre of the defence with Pontus Jansson staying on the bench.
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