De La Fuente assesses Spain’s start to World Cup qualifying | OneFootball

Spain kicked off their campaign in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Bulgaria last Thursday in Sofia, with young Lamine Yamal being the standout player of the match.

The Spaniards lead Group E with 3 points, tied with Turkey, who beat Georgia 3-2.

The team of coach Luis de la Fuente, whose last match was the UEFA Nations League final (penalty shootout loss to Portugal), dominated the Bulgarian team.

Mikel Oyarzabal, taking advantage of a pass from Martín Zubimendi (5'), full-back Marc Cucurella, with his first goal for 'Roja' (30'), and Mikel Merino, heading in after a corner taken by Yamal (38'), decided the match in the first half.

In the absence of more goals, the most significant event in the second half was the return of Rodri and Dani Carvajal, two players who missed much of last season due to injuries.

"This kind of game tends to get ugly if we can't maintain the intensity and competitive level," De La Fuente said after the match.

"We had a very good first half. The team was focused from the start, with attacks, combinations (...) and in the second half we lacked a bit of gas, intensity. These are situations that arise at this stage of the season," the coach analyzed.

Spain will return to the field next Sunday, against Turkey, away from home, in a clash between the favorites to lead the group and secure a direct spot for next year's World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.