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Today, on Friday, the last match of Group H between Spain, who have already secured a place in the round of 16, and Saudi Arabia, who have slim chances. In the ranks of Spain, we will see many players who did not play in the last two matches.
Saudi Arabia - Spain Time: 17:00 h (Lithuanian time) Stadium: Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern (46,000 seats) Referee: Coffi Codjia (Benin)
Head-to-head meetings This will be the first meeting of these two teams.
Statistics and facts Spain The first matches of the final World Cup stage went very successfully. The Spanish team, considered favorites of the group, justified their name and defeated the Ukrainian team 4-0. The match against Tunisia did not start according to coach Luis Aragones' plan. After conceding an early goal, the Spanish team struggled to break through the opponent's defense. Then, after a substitute Raul scored, the Spaniards celebrated a 3-1 victory. These two matches showed that there is more than one equal player in the team.
Cesc Fabregas and Carles Puyol would miss the round of 16 match if they were shown yellow cards in this match.
Raul scoring at least one goal would become the all-time leading scorer in Spain's World Cup history. The Real Madrid striker, like Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueno, and Fernando Hierro, has scored 5 times.
The victory against Tunisia extended Spain's unbeaten streak to 24 matches, but it's not their best result. Even more impressively, the Spaniards played between September 1994 and November 1997 when managed by Javier Clemente, they did not lose 31 consecutive matches.
Saudi Arabia In the first matches against Tunisia, after a fierce and tumultuous battle, the Saudi Arabian team managed to snatch a point, although they were very close to a victory, which would now be very important for them to fight for a place in the round of 16, but they conceded a goal in the last minute. In the second match, the Ukrainians left no hope of winning, as they defeated the Arabs 4-0.
Saud Khariri, Omar Al Ghamdi, and Ahmed Dokhi would miss the round of 16 match (of course, if they manage to qualify) if they were shown yellow cards in this match.
Players and coaches' thoughts before the match
"Everyone wants to play," Joaquin said on Wednesday. "Although we are already in the next stage of the competition, it is still a World Cup match, and I am determined to take advantage of this opportunity."
"If we win the last match and finish the stage with 9 points, then people will understand our goals," said Fernando Torres.
"Finally, my time has come, after many training sessions and matches, I will finally play in the World Cup. This is part of my career," said Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado. "I am well prepared and hope to show my abilities and readiness to play whenever the coach needs me."
"I will give other players the opportunity to shine. All players have great qualities, and I hope they will play well and win the match. I trust this team as much as I trust any other," said Luis Aragones.
"We understood that we would have two tough matches against Ukraine and Spain, but in life, you have to believe in everything and trust in yourself to the end," thought Saudi Arabia's coach Marcos Paqueta. "The most important thing is for the players to show that they are dedicated and get rid of the memories from the last World Cup match."
Players and tactics
Spain Coach L. Aragones noted before the match that he will allow players to rest as much as possible. It seems we will see the second Spanish lineup - almost all substitute players will show themselves. The starting lineup should include defenders who have already played in the championship, Cesc Fabregas, Joaquin, and David Albelda, while the team captain Raul and David Villa should play 45 minutes each, but we are unlikely to see the team's top scorer Fernando Torres in the match, allowing him to rest.
Saudi Arabia It doesn't seem like Arab coach Marcos Paqueta will make any major changes after a crushing defeat against Ukraine. Only goalkeeper Mabrouk Zaid, who conceded 6 goals in the first two matches, will be replaced by Mohamed Al Deayea. The latter has played the most matches for his national team in the world (181). Defender Sami Al Jaber will also appear in the starting lineup. M. Paqueta believes this will create more opportunities for the only remaining striker, Yassir Al Qahtani.
Verdict: Spain has secured a place in the round of 16, and only a very poor performance in these matches and a convincing victory for Ukraine against Tunisia could push Spain out of the first place in the group. Saudi Arabian players also have very slim theoretical chances of reaching the next stage. First of all, they would need to win with a significant margin, something they have not been able to do in World Cup matches since June 29, 1994, and hope for a minimal Tunisian victory or a draw in the second H group match.
Predicted starting lineups:
Saudi Arabia (4-5-1): 1-Mohamed Al Deayea; 2-Ahmed Dokhi, 13-Hussein Sulaimani, 4-Hamad Al Montashari, 3-Redha Tuker; 14-Saud Al Khariri, 6-Omar Al Ghamdi, 8-Mohamed Noor, 9-Sami Al Jaber, 16-Khaled Al Thaker; 20-Yassir Al Qahtani. Coach: Marcos Paqueta
Spain (4-3-3): 19-Santiago Canizares; 2-Michel Salgado, 20-Juanito, 4-Carlos Marchena, 12-Antonio Lopez; 6-David Albelda, 13-Andres Iniesta, 18-Cesc Fabregas, 17-Joaquin; 10-Jose Antonio Reyes, 7-Raul. Coach: Luis Aragones
