Luis de la Fuente’s relentless Spain take on Group E basement team Bulgaria, with the European champions eager to stretch their lead at the top.

Spain have been relentless over their last few games, particularly after the penalty shoot-out loss to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League Final, and their next challenge will be Bulgaria. La Roja are eager to set a dominating tone to their qualification campaign and have responded to that Nations League defeat very well.

In the three qualification games since that final, Spain have scored 11 goals and conceded none, as they are the table toppers in Group E. In the first game of this international break, Spain managed to overcome Georgia as Yeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal scored either side of a Ferran Torres missed penalty, as La Roja asserted their dominance.

Despite missing some key stars, the quality available to De la Fuente’s disposal makes them one of the complete international sides around. Up next, they hope to beat Bulgaria to secure yet another win and keep their stronghold at the top of Group E.

Bulgaria are bottom of Group E after three games, and they have lost any hope of making a comeback to make their first World Cup appearance since 1998. In the aftermath of losing to Spain and Georgia by an identical 3-0 scoreline, former boss Ilian Iliev lost his job.

His successor, Aleksandar Dimitrov, has conceded six goals in his first game in charge on Saturday against Turkey, which has all but ended any slim hopes of staging a comeback in Group E.

For now, Bulgaria are destined to finish at the bottom of the group in another abysmal World Cup qualifying campaign, although they will hope to keep a tight lid when they play free-scoring Spain.

Team News & Tactics

Spain

Luis de la Fuente does have some problems, which saw the likes of Dean Huijsen, Rodri, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal pull out of the squad before the win over Georgia.

Yet, with the squad at his disposal, the manager could theoretically make changes to freshen up the ranks, although that may not be the case. Luis de la Fuente is likely to name an unchanged lineup from the win over Georgia in a bid to maintain consistency at the top level, irrespective of the opponents’ quality.

Meaning, Robin Le Normand and Pau Cubarsi will start a the heart of the Spanish defence, with Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella in the full-back roles. Arsenal pair Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino will continue in the Spanish midfield alongside Barcelona star Pedri.

Similarly, Crystal Palace attacker Yeremy Pino and Real Sociedad star Mikel Oyarzabal are expected to feature in the frontline alongside Ferran Torres, with Oyarzabal leading the line for Spain against Bulgaria.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Simon; Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsi, Cucurella; Merino, Zubimendi, Pedri, Torres, Oyarzabal, Pino

Bulgaria

Aleksandar Dimitrov will be unable to call upon Emil Tsenov after the defender withdrew from the squad ahead of the defeat to Turkey with a problem.

Kristian Dimitrov could be the man to come into the defensive setup alongside Rosen Bozhinov, with Ivan Turistov likely to push for the right-back berth in the lineup. Dimitrov should have skipper Kiril Despodov in the front three, with Kirilov and Petkov the other two in the attacking setup.

The manager is likely to keep a 4-3-3 shape intact for this one despite the challenges posed due to Spain’s fluid system. Stoyanov, Kristiyan Chocvev and Andrian Kraev will feature in central midfield for Bulgaria in a bid to stop the Spanish midfielders from getting their way.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mitov; Turitsov, Dimitrov, Bozhinov, Petrov; Chochev, Stoyanov, Kraev; Petkov, Kirilov, Despodov

Key Stats

• Spain have all three of their qualification games so far.
• Spain have not conceded a goal in their three qualification games so far.
• Bulgaria have conceded 12 goals in their three games in Group E.
• Bulgaria are winless in their last eight games.

Player to Watch

Martin Zubimendi

Embed from Getty Images

Zubimendi has had a sensational start to the new season with Arsenal and Spain. In the prolonged absence of Rodri, Luis de la Fuente has handed the keys to the Spanish midfield to the former Real Sociedad star, and he has been exceptional in his displays so far.

Not only is he covering for the formidable Rodri, but the chances of the Manchester City star taking over his place are now in doubt. Zubimendi is at the heart of how Spain plays their fluid football, while providing absolute control of the game from the middle of the park. For Spain’s chances of another victory, Zubimendi will be the key man to watch out for.

Prediction

Spain 4-0 Bulgaria

Bulgaria are already in trouble and are staring at another heavy defeat when they travel to Spain on Tuesday. The new manager has not found the rhythm yet with the players, but when he does, it will be ultimately too late to have any chance of progression. Hence, these games against the likes of the European champions are a test of sorts for this team to improve in the future.

Spain are looking relentless in their performances, and they may benefit from playing someone like Bulgaria to help improve their fluidity and other aspects of the game. This could be a game where they are at their scoring best, as the expectation is for Spain to score at least four times or maybe more while keeping yet another clean sheet.