The Spanish national team secured a 1-1 draw against Iraq at the Riazor stadium, in a friendly marked by massive rotation of the starting eleven. With eight debutants on the pitch, the team showed an evident lack of connection after the holiday break. The match served as a testing ground to give playing time to the substitutes ahead of the trip to the 2026 World Cup.
Rotations and fine-tuning: the tactical engine after the break ⚙️
The coaching staff used the match to test tactical variations with an experimental lineup. The high press failed in the first half, leaving spaces that Iraq exploited for their goal. In the second half, the changes improved possession, but the lack of automatisms highlighted the need for more team training sessions. Post-match data analysis will show the imbalances in heat maps and passing lines.
Iraq almost took the Riazor ham 🏆
The Spanish national team showed up with more new faces than a reality show casting. Eight debutants together seemed more like a group of strangers in an elevator than a football team. Iraq, with less name recognition but more hunger, came close to causing an upset. Good thing the Riazor pitch doesn't have Wi-Fi, or our players would get lost looking for the social network.