Spain forward Mikel Merino celebrates his winning goal in the World Cup quarter-finals. The Spaniards face France, a fellow powerhouse, in the semis in Arlington, Tex., on Tuesday.Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press
France may arrive with a fearsome front four and enough attacking firepower to make defenders sleep badly, but Spain’s plan for their World Cup semi-final is more territorial: keep the ball, dictate the rhythm and make the danger flow the other way.
Winger Alex Baena said Spain obviously respected one of the tournament’s most potent teams, spearheaded by an attacking line of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and either Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola. But the Spaniard insisted they would not spend Tuesday’s clash simply waiting for the storm.
“The four up front are having a great tournament and we will have to keep an eye on them. But we will try to make them watch us more than we watch them,” Baena told reporters on Monday.
“Our strength is having the ball, having a lot of possession to attack and to make sure they attack us as little as possible. Hopefully, tomorrow it will be like that too.”
That line neatly captured Spain’s approach when they came out victorious in the 2024 Euros and 2025 Nations League semis against Didier Deschamps’ team.
World Cup assist leader Michael Olise, left, pursues the ball during France's quarter-final win over Morocco.FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
Baena said possession would again be Spain’s first form of defence and their clearest route to control, but warned that history would not do any tackling for them.
“It is true that we come from two matches in which we beat them, and that suited us, but every match is a world of its own,” he said. “They are having a spectacular tournament.”
Travel schedule
The subplot to Spain’s tactical confidence is a travel schedule that has left them covering considerably more ground than France before the semi-final.
Spain opted to stay in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the group stage, where no World Cup matches were played, and had to travel to three different time zones for their matches while France have kept their base in Boston throughout and will play their first match outside the Eastern Time zone, having travelled some 16,000 kilometres less than their opponents.
However, fullback Pedro Porro played down concerns over fatigue.
“From the outside you see it, but in our day-to-day life we travel up and down and we don’t see the kilometres we do,” Porro said. “We have been able to recover for this match.”
With the underdogs gone, the World Cup spotlight turns to its leading lights
Baena was more open about the strain.
“It is true that we are a little tired from so much travel,” he said. “We have travelled much more and done more kilometres than them and, in the end, when you get close to the end, you notice it a bit.
“But I think we are all fine, with a lot of excitement and a lot of desire. It is respect for one of the best teams in the tournament and in the world,” he said. “We hope it will be a very, very even match and that it will be decided by small details.”