UEFA Euro 2024 Group B Expectations: Spain, Italy, Croatia & Albania ⚽ | ESPN FC

Expectations for Spain when you take a look at Italy's group it's an intriguing one isn't it alongside Spain Croatia and Albania for more gabar cotti here in here flying the Spanish flag for us Lis Garcia as well gab who's the better team Italy or Spain uh I think right now I would uh I would say this Italy may be the defending Champions but I have definitely have Spain ahead of Italy oh look at Lou smiling as he said L's answer is Barcelona yes is only the non-real Madrid players in the Spain Squad uh Lis overall in Spain what is the expectations coming in to this tournament and especially looking ahead to some of the big games within the group obviously against these three proper opponents yeah definitely guys and yes of course there's not many Real Madrid players that they're going to be involved but that's not the the case we are talking about uh transition in space we've been talking about this transition for quite a while there's a very young team the expectation has always high because you can you can see that he's a very talented team with a lot of hunger the intensity is good he a manager who knows them very well since they were at the under 17 under 21 they've been F their careers and at the moment they are at the highest level I mean if you have a look to the to the team from yesterday they won easily against northern islands with Nico Williams playing for atletic cl theb being in the in the cup of the the final of the of the cop r with Lam Jamal being very important for play in the whole season pedri back back again to his best yesterday was one of the best games from the past maybe two months right after the and the injury in the middle of the park we all know that rodri probably is one of the best in his position Fabian re has done a great job he's a player who give you a lot of work into the middle and at the back is where we go more doubts because we don't know kukura he he received the call because it was no Gad it was not another player who could be actually called he has been in and out in the left side but he's sure that he can provide experience of the Premier League Of course and for me the most important is that partnership between naal and or man laor player who actually needs to to to bring that experience to the center of the of the defender because there is some a couple of problems that we can have up front because we don't have a team that is scor many goals Morata is you know with some kind of doubting moments with atletic Madrid not even playing in the last month and a half but when he plays for the national team he provides he delivers and he score goals and that's something that everyone is expecting but it's true that at some moments and yesterday was one of them we concede easily and we we look vulnerable those are two options as the one there a bit little bit concerning the the the supporters here in Spain but definitely this team I can tell you can compete against anyone toe totoe well it can compete yeah can it finish well this is it isn't it I mean the Spanish chances for me yeah the defense will be put under some some pressure the Spanish chances of going all the way or a long way or even winning it is going to come down to end product there is there's no point continually having this 70 75% possession if it's Tippy tappy and there's no purpose at the end of it there's no quality balls in if it's Morata or whoever it is and they're finishing off these this this play these chances this possession uh it's something that hurt Manchester City at the end of the season in the Cup Final in the Champions League and other games they had all these this possession but they were they were very wasteful uh or lack some gu albe for a team of that quality in the final third and and I think until Spain can change that uh it's always going to be a problem and Lis is right you know if they get the service to Alvar Ro Morata it's what Alvar Ro Morata is turning up and the first six months of the Season at Atletico Madrid he was terrific him and Griezmann were the two of the best players in Spain they were linking up he was getting on the end of things they were getting crosses in the Box he was getting in there and he looked as if he got his confidence back and then for some reason he lost his way again the Champions League game against inter he was awful he was falling all over all over the place got taken off so a lot of it is going to come down to to you know pedre the fitness of of him as well obviously he's missed a chunk of the season but how are they going to to take and Harless the domination of a game which which they'll probably dominate most games and take that into end product and that then takes the pressure off the backline and the goalkeeper there's nothing worse for a Defenders Defenders and goalkeepers and holding midfielders if all these chances are getting missed and then you're just getting pressure put on you and so that's something that Spain hav haven't remedied in the last few years and if they don't again then just quite frankly they're not going to win this tournament but if they do Shaq you got Lin M we've seen him a lot obviously the season brilliant Williams fantastic down the left as well pedri to try and conduct things and speed those balls through you have got the possibility of this team going really far listen I I I I agree with everything that's been said so far and you look at the Spanish Spanish lineup potential lineup and there is quality everywhere in the park and I I don't think that there's any denying that and I think L did an excellent job in in mapping that out in in every single position I out a bit as well you you followed on very nicely but I I'll also Echo what what the other what the guys have been saying Alva marata can finish this tournament as leading scorer or no goals anywhere in between with ala marata and and that's the issue there is simply no consistency from him um in terms of a player and and yes I know he's been marginally better for the national team than he has been sitting of late with uh with his club team but you just don't know what to expect yeah and it's so key and I've said this time and time which time and time again which Craig just pointed to as as a defense as a defensive unit it's really hard to keep clean sheets when you cannot rely on your your attacking outfit to score goals that may ultimately come back to co to cosin because you look at it and and also when you look at the squad in in Greater depth if marata is misfiring who do you call on can you play two up front I I just you know who you call on Oh Real Madrid's hero of the semifinal yes really there you go again you can do it against Bayern simar similar similar similar complaint about Ala Morata Salu will grab it too late on or the ball hit him in the back of his heel and stay out you just you just don't know what you're going remember I went to the Euros in 2012 oh well done watching Spain watching Spain and and and uh I think it was fabrigas might have be wrong I think fabrigas played up front certainly in the early games and so but that but that was a great I mean not that this is a bad Spanish side but it's not a great Spanish side and they in that era they made it work they were able to adapt and and they made it work and somehow they figured it out and still created a host of chances uh and were successful but I just don't know if if this side has the adaptability to maybe play that way without a hosu or or a marata and and make it work for them at that level and that's going to be the big question why were you rudely laughing when Luis was talking gab oh no no no I I I was uh I was Jing myself up because well I think Spain are far more talented overall than than Italy are going to go probably going to go further in the tournament um I was reminded of their center backs and the combination of um you know em leaport nacho at his age and after a long season leaport of course who's been sunning himself in Saudi Robin L Norman so they got to go to France to go and get uh their own center backs uh and he brings up kuura as well so I thought to myself okay that there's one area of the pitch where we can hold our own against Spain Luis what's a successful tournament for Spain I got a good one I will say quarterfinals and maybe semi-finals I think that it will be already a success but again he's a team and the guys are are totally right on this he's a team that maybe they they can have problem to score goals maybe we don't know how that they are going to compete because is a very young team and they need to be there and feel the pressure because it's not the same playing against Andor against North Carina to be there but it's a team that is bold that is he he doesn't have anything to do it's a very young team who is very angry hungry of of of doing something well well because there's been a lot of talks about if this team doesn't have the same quality from 2012 or 20110 and that's something that of course hurts the players and I can tell you this if if you get a Spain in in in a good day anyone they can beat anyone because because they got the talent they got the ability to have the ball The Possession is fantastic on this team if you have a look with rodri can manage the whole center of the Midfield they got the the B of the legs that is something that I think that he's been missing speed on the wide area and of course the muscle into the middle and now you go Fabian bri can give you that you go Marino they can give you that also rodri that you know they cover a lot of pains into the middle and also pedri can bring you not only at the Finish wife because he's a box to box player when he's fit but also the quality to bring play ball to to uh to the players up front so I I'm I I have to say that even though they we go concerns and arriving to quarterfinal will be already a good result I I don't stop this team to to go further away because if you have a look to all the competition and all the teams that they are going to be involved all of them and I'm saying all of them maybe one or two they are not they are struggling to scoring goals everyone is very focusing on on holding very well have a good and defensive side to try to don't concede and see if we can wi score one or two goal but all of them are having problems because there is not any more those players who can score two or three goals every game players who can score many goals during the tournament we are talking back in the years when H 10 12 goals during a tournament could be possible we are talking about a tournament where it's going to be more often seen that are good defensive and I'm talking about Italy for example right now that they are also don't having a center for who can score goals kamaka is going to probably the player who is going to be FR trying to lead that or Maya to all the the other team but all of them they are going to strug to score goals and that's something that we're going to see from the first game of the season of the competition it's the only one that's not going to struggle is to score goals obviously Harry Kane in England and that's why they're probably going to win it all right yes about I'm L I'm only joking L I'm only joking right we're talk about England maybe a little later on you keep bringing them up today you brought them up twice already for no particular reason I'm I'm building them up so I'm going to have that big fall uh Italian Expectations for Italy fans only reminding how Scotland how much of a roller coaster they've been on over recent years of course didn't qualify for the World Cup had to qualify for the playoffs so this defending Champions though of the Euros given everything gab what's what's a good tournament for Italy I mean like I I think a good tournament would be minimum quarterfinals um you still have to think you have to remember who you are to remember you're the defending champions uh yeah it's absolutely scary when you think that up front you know you're relying on on Jan lcas kamaka who is incredibly inconsistent and look if you get the anfield version of skaka then you're sitting pretty if you get some of the other skaka is not so good but also uh in that sort of attacking core other than federo kza who you know seems to be made of glass and is injured all the time although you know knock on wood he'll stay fit for the tournament there isn't much to shout about so while I think the Midfield is pretty good I think that the defense is solid lots of options I think the goalkeeper's great there is that issue um and even by the way a pretty good Midfield against you play a Midfield like Spains or frankly even Croatia with brovich and and modri and pasalich you know you may not see the ball for very very long stretches you know you could talk about this what's a good tournament for some of these we call them the elite level countries they might not be at the level they want S no matter who it was Spain Italy England whoever Germany France but you talk about it quarterfinals semi-finals but it a't a good tournament if you get the quarterfinal and get knocked out and and you've got in the side you got in the side of the draw and your opponent's weaker then it it changes doesn't it yes you get the semi-final and you're England you get knocked out by there it is again St weer side or Italy I'm just suggestion there it is every possibility Scotland because if Scotland get to the semi-finals and getting knocked out by a week opponent then then but these are a weaker opponent I think we must the wrong Expectations for Croatia T you mentioned ctia cab there are a few that have got a better record in international tournaments of late when you take a look at what they've achieved obviously semi-finals of the World Cup made it to the final of the World Cup back in 2018 what do we expect from this side obviously an aging side yeah look I mean you know you have that that that core of players where's the next when are the next guys going to uh going to step up uh I'm really curious to see what brzovic can can bring because and he's been off my radar All Season fact all the guys who play in Saudi what condition are they going to be like uh are they going to be in when when they when they come back here when you know when you consider the the the change in climate and and conditions um certainly they're always a very very uh tough out um I think they're going to need Andre karic to to score goals for them because I think that potentially uh could be an issue the talents there in in in Midfield and obviously at the back you have you have guardal you still have lakovic around uh in goal so it's a really really solid uh nucleus that feels like a club side because many of them have been together for so long and let's take a look then of the odds when it comes to Spain and Italy to go on and win it also oh for God's sake Spain is setting fifth England again right I don't make the odds Spain is setting fifth uh Italy my sitting sixth Croatia eighth at 30 to1 um or ninth sorry 30 to1 that looks pretty tasty um overall I suppose Lis if I ask you out of Spain ity and Croatia who will go the furthest you might suggest it will be Spain yes I would I would like to think that yes but croaa is a is a team that has got a lot of experience that Center me field that was mentioned is fantastic and a front this this time there is not not looking for a player to try to because Kar is a player who likes to play also in the wide areas not maybe as in the forward but with budim that is been one of the top scorers in La Lia we following with oasa during the whole season is been fantastic so arrive with that confident so it could be a play who can make the difference right right up front because you got you are surrounded by top talent players who are going to be assisting you all the the time in a team that likes to have the ball so I wouldn't say I saw Croatia in that list and even I could say I could see them going further forward because they know how to win tournament they know how to be in that kind of situation in tough situation with a lot of pressure and they have so much experience with those players they just mentioned with MRI Perry 6 Bros they are they have been there they know what it is and they can help the younger ones to to to to know what it is to to be in a situation like this one so yeah I would like to to see Spain going further forward but um I'm I'm not moving away ctia because I like that team uh Before I Let You Go Louise how was Glenn Eagles tough mate yeah tough that's that's a difficult course I have to say have you played it was beautiful he's a nice green lovely day difficult I bet he got his own golf clubs to play though oh yes that's that's for extra time actually golf clubs thank you very much to gab and Louise [Music]