Spain vs Lithuania Match Preview

 

Vicente Del Bosque's quests for Group I's leadership will have to be reached missing key players like Xavi, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Jesus navas. This will be a golden opportunity for Spain's coach to sharpen his team's form with new blood.

Four points in two matches granted Lithuania the first position of the group, and defending such advantage will be tough against the world champions. Are the Eastern Europeans capable of defying the king?

Argentina brought Spain back to reality last month, when the Albiceleste sent the Fury back home empty-handed (Argentina won 4-1). Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque's confidence remains intact: Villarreal's creative wizard Borja Valero and Aritz Aduriz have been called for the National Football Team for the first time.

It's been confirmed Fernando Llorente will be David Villa's partner for the game, as Liverpool's Fernando Torres is struggling with injuries.

FC Valencia is going through an excellent moment in Spain's La Liga, leading the tournament undefeated, and Pablo Hernandez's shining present has much to do with Che's success. Pablo is likely to be playing the role of a driver and builder, overwhelming from the wings whenever necessary.

"This is the single most important moment in my career. To be in Spain's National Football Team is incredible. I feel happy, when I was 10 years old and started in Real Madrid, Del Bosque was the youth team's manager. He knows me well enough and if he called me, this means he belives I'm ready" stated Borja Valero.

Spain's defense of the title started brilliantly against Liechenstein, defeated 4-0, but Lithuania has been showing credentials of their strength in the course of the last weeks. Lithuania's coach will have to come up soon with an idea to replace Giedrius Arlauskis, Andrius Velicka and Mantas Fridrikas, all of them struggling with injuries.

Coach Raimondas Zutautas is aware his boys' unbeaten streak might find its shore against Del Bosque's squad. Four times have these teams faced each other in the group stages of the qualification and Spain's goal has remained shut in every match, securing the three points thrice.

The visitors have defeated Czech Republic by the minimum difference after tying against Scotland in the first match. The circumstances turn this match into a must-win for both squads, as Scotland is likely to take advantage of this fight to claim the top for their own. Valencia's defender Marius Stankevicius will play a decisive role, for he knows better than anybody Spain's strategy, and particularly David Villa and David Silva (former team mates) as well as Pablo.

Lithuania's top striker Darvydas Serna will have to be ready to stand against one of the strongest defenses in the world. Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Joan Capdevilla. The visitors will have to keep pressure even throughout all the field to stop Spain's ball flow, but the individual capabilities of the hosts might overcome Serna's every attempt towards the goal.

Only four days after this game Spain will be taking on Scotland, and their next rival will be eager to add as many units as possible prior to this game. The Spaniards need to heal the wounds inflicted by Argentina at the Monumental, and the next two matches offer a perfect opportunity to do so. Lithuania's promising future depends on the result of this game, will the visitors be able to bag the three points in Spain?

Under-2.60
Over-1.47