Spain have been on an excellent run leading up to their friendly against Colombia. La Roja won seven out of eight matches during their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and hope to keep that streak going against Colombia.
Daniel Munoz scored Colombia’s only goal in the 61st minute and ended the match scoring an unassisted goal against Venezuela. In this article, we will discuss top 5 matches of Spain National Football Team vs Colombia National Football Team Lineups.
Top 5 Matches
Colombia’s rich soccer heritage is well-known to American audiences. Over the years, Colombians have produced some of the greatest names in soccer – former Tampa Bay Mutiny star Carlos Valderrama, current Real Madrid forward Radamel Falcao and Manchester United legend James Rodriguez among them.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain have been impressive throughout 2018, winning seven out of eight UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches under Luis de la Fuente’s guidance. Although La Roja are clear favorites to defeat Colombia on March 10th, they will need to bring their best performance if they hope to achieve victory.
De la Fuente made some adjustments to his lineup for this match, resting defenders Rodri and Dani Carvajal while giving debuts to Arsenal winger Alex Remiro and 17-year-old Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi – two young guns set to make their first international appearances under him. Furthermore, he added Athletic Bilbao forward Dani Vivian for his inaugural national team appearance.
Colombia’s defense has been impressive despite making some changes to their lineup, allowing only one clear shot on goal while Camilo Vargas saved two shots from entering the box. Although they only created two chances themselves so far, Colombia are slowly building confidence in the final third of the field; Luis Diaz and Jorge Carrascal are providing sparks of potential danger against Spain – however more needs to be done to generate sustained offensive threat.
Match 1
Spain and Colombia will meet at London Stadium for a friendly match, marking their first meeting since June 2017 when they last faced each other at Euro 2016. Both sides aim to build momentum for June’s European Championships and Copa America tournaments.
Colombia remains one of the premier national teams in the world despite losing star player Radamel Falcao to international retirement. Their recent form has been impressive; three wins in four matches, including an emphatic 2-0 triumph over Argentina last weekend; plus, they’ve managed 21 goals during this unbeaten streak!
Spain took control of possession during the opening quarter-hour. Their defenders made some good movements and passed the ball to teammates; however, none threatened Camilo Vargas with any shots at goal.
Colombia defended effectively in the second quarter, though play slowed slightly and Spanish attacks did not generate many chances. Colombia came close when Mateo Casierra took a shot from left side which was caught by David Raya; thereafter Colombia held onto their half while Luis Diaz began appearing and searching for openings to cause anxiety within their defense.
Match 2
Spain had an early advantage, yet were unable to convert their dominance into goals. Jhon Lucumi saw his header go high over the bar while Camilo Vargas had his shot blocked by one of Colombia’s players.
Colombia players appeared to treat this match more as an actual game than a friendly, and were able to push into attacking areas of the pitch. Cuadrado managed to send in an attempt for Falcao at goal; unfortunately he couldn’t connect.
Both teams were looking to advance in preparations for this summer’s major tournaments – UEFA Euro 2024 will take place this summer and Copa America shortly afterwards.
Spain made one change on Saturday when Marc Cucurella replaced Valencia defender Jose Gaya as an injury replacement and could earn his first international cap with Spain.
Colombia made changes that saw former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez back into their starting eleven, wearing the captain’s armband during this friendly match at Wembley Stadium. James Rodriguez will surely inspire his side before their home fans, alongside Daniel Munoz and Santiago Arias who featured as part of Colombia’s World Cup squad that reached Russia; alongside impressive young winger Nico Williams from Athletic Club who is playing La Liga this season.
Match 3
Spain’s upcoming friendly against Colombia in London will mark an historic event for La Roja fans, as their national team will play its inaugural match ever in England. As part of an agreement between RFEF and ticketing company Stage Front, more international matches will take place overseas for Spanish clubs and their national team in future years.
The defending champions will look to make an impressionful start ahead of their 2024 UEFA Euro debuts, for which they are strong contenders. Luis de la Fuente has selected an experienced squad combined with some up-and-coming talent in Dani Vivian, Mateo Casierra, Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona). These players all made their debut under de la Fuente on Monday.
Colombia looked dangerous right from the outset. James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz proved constant threats for Spain’s defence; Athletic Bilbao centre-back Vivian struggled to contain Luis Diaz; however, two golden opportunities to open scoring by James Rodriguez misfired his curling effort over the bar before forcing goalkeeper Alex Remiro into making an impressive one-handed save kept the score at 0-0.
Since their last game, Colombia have undergone considerable roster adjustments since Yerry Mina, Ian Poveda, and Luis Sinisterra left due to injury. Lorenzo introduced newcomers like Santiago Arias and Argentine goalkeeper Juan David Cabal into his starting XI.
Match 4
Spain and Colombia will square off against one another at London Stadium for a friendly match to prepare for major tournaments this summer – Euro 2024 in Spain’s case and Copa America starting later in June for La Tricolor.
Spain have struggled to generate any offensive momentum during the early stages, while Colombia have looked dangerous throughout. Jhon Arias and Liverpool’s Luis Diaz have both proven a threat to Spain while Camilo Vargas has mostly been on the sidelines throughout this half.
Colombian forwards have struggled to link up in the final third, but have shown impressive dribbling skills and are an ongoing threat for Spain’s defense.
Beginning the second half, both teams began pushing forward more often and Colombia nearly managed to break through, only for Camilo Vargas to save Gerard Moreno’s goal-bound shot against goal.
Colombian attack has improved significantly under James Rodriguez, with both attacks looking more dangerous and organized than before. Meanwhile, Spain have also shown some strength on the counterattack with their wingers stretching Colombian defense and creating chances. Nico Williams in particular poses an extremely dangerous threat that opens up opportunities for teammates – though his finishing needs to improve to fulfill Spain’s expectations for him.
Match 5
Spain and Colombia will meet for a friendly at London Stadium on Friday evening to continue preparing for summer tournaments. Spain won all their matches at last year’s UEFA Nations League to capture their championship, while Colombia are looking to build on their impressive qualifying performance ahead of Copa America 2024 which begins nearer the end of June.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain are expected to field a full-strength side, though defenders Pedri and Gavio remain unavailable for selection in this match. Valencia defender Marc Cucurella could earn his first senior international cap at 22 while Juventus striker Alvaro Morata will also make their Spain debuts.
Luis Diaz of Colombia has proven to be an unstoppable force going forward and was an unassailable threat against Spain right-back Dani Vivian’s right wing back. Diaz used his fantastic dribbling skills to open up space in the final third while clever lateral movements allowed him to find teammates in advanced positions.
Morata will lead La Roja alongside Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey and Atletico Madrid striker Carlos Vela. Manchester United defender David Ospina is set to earn his 129th international cap between the posts, while Chelsea centre back Radamel Falcao may receive rest during this matchup.
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