Six days before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, Luis de la Fuente showed in Puebla (Mexico), in the friendly against Peru, what is expected to be the starting eleven of the Spanish National Team in its debut against Cape Verde. He did it successfully, he showed that he has a clear plan. Oyarzabal, Pedri and a goal by goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, in his own goal, scored the goals (1-3) in a match of accomplished objectives.
Getting into the rhythm of competition, winning and closing the second and last friendly without injuries. Full house for Spain on Monday in Puebla, where they returned to play 40 years later. The same city where, in the 1986 Mexico World Cup, Eloy Olaya missed the penalty against Belgium in the quarterfinals.
La Roja assumes its role as favorite
A quarter-final barrier that was not broken until 24 years later, when the Spanish national team won its first and only World Cup. To date.
And the goal of achieving the second is on the table. The Spanish expedition makes no secret of its ambition.
She enjoys her status as a favorite. At least one of them, arriving as European champion.
And this Monday the real preparation began.
After a difficult start to the training camp, with up to 10 players missing for the first friendly against Iraq (1-1), in which nine players who were not in the World Cup squad played, the match against Peru provided a real test of the team’s level.
Not because of the opponent, Peru, out of the World Cup and with only two wins in the previous 12 matches.
In the midst of the reconstruction process, it was not a tough opponent for a Spain at a different pace.
Spain struck early
The score was equal for 101 seconds.
It took Mikel Oyarzabal to reinforce his status as Spain’s first-choice striker with his sixth straight game on the road to the World Cup.
The ’21’ received with his back to goal, turned, saw goalkeeper Pedro Gallese badly positioned and shot left-footed from outside the area to make it 0-1.
A Spain team gaining confidence and improving, with Ferran Torres, scorer of the only goal against Iraq, as a constant threat on the right flank.
He served a low ball to Baena in the 16th minute, but was unsuccessful in his shot;
And he repeated later, in the 32nd, for his friend, Pedri, who made no mistake to double the lead.
Oyarzabal attracted the attention of the defense, with unmarked moves to the near post and coming out of position for Pedri, one of the most applauded players by the fans at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium, to celebrate his seventh goal for Spain.
Changes do not stop La Roja’s dominance
Luis de la Fuente, unable to count on two players who would be starters if they were healthy -Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams- used the first 45 minutes as a test for the debut and in the second to give minutes.
Four changes at halftime, one of them the goalkeeper, with David Raya coming in for Unai Simón, and without lowering the level.
In the second half, Gallese was singled out when Yeremy Pino’s cross went into his own net in the 53rd minute.
A cross that seemed to find no finisher, but the Peruvian goalkeeper, in trying to clear it, changed direction and it became the third goal of the match.
Peru made up for the result in the final stretch
The Peruvian goalkeeper was unfortunate while the attack did not take advantage of the space behind the Spanish defense, their weak point, until the 66th minute.
Jairo Velez, born in Ecuador and naturalized in 2026 for the Peruvian national team, continued his idyll with the goal: fourth goal in four matches.
Against Spain, taking advantage of a misplaced lateral pass by Marcos López.
The only downside to a Spain team that slowed down as the minutes went by, without taking risks and with its mind set on June 15, in the World Cup opener against Cape Verde.
Luis de la Fuente showed that he has a clear plan
QuéOnnda.com
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1 – Peru: Gallese; Marcos López (Matias Zegarra, m.87), Renzo Garcés, Fabio Gruber, Oliver Sonne (Marco Huaman, m.87); Jesús Pretell (Rodrigo Vilca, m.87), Noriega (Alfonso Barco, m.62), Yotún (André Carrillo, m.62) ; Jairo Vélez (Jairo Concha, m.87), Vidales (Maxloren Castro, m.62) and Ugarriza (Quiroz, m.75).
3 – Spain: Unai Simón (David Raya, m.46); Marcos Llorente (Pedro Porro, m.69), Cubarsí (Marc Pubill, m.61), Laporte (Eric García, m.46); Cucurella (Grimaldo, m.69); Rodri (Zubimendi, m.61), Pedri (Mikel Merino, m.61), Fabían (Dani Olmo, m.46); Ferrán Torres (Borja Iglesias, m.69), Oyarzabal (Yeremy Pino, m.46) and Baena (Gavi, m.61).
Goals: 0-1, 2nd minute: Oyarzabal. 0-2, 32nd minute: Pedri. 0-3, 53rd minute: Gallese (pp). 1-3, m.66: Jairo Vélez.
Referee: Fernando Hernández Gómez (Mexico). Yellow cards for Renzo Garcés (86th minute), Peru.
Incidents: Pre-World Cup friendly match played at the Cuauhtémoc stadium (Puebla, Mexico).
With information from EFE
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