Spain will hope to quickly overcome the 3-3 draw with Portugal when they take on Iran tonight. A Diego Costa brace and a Nacho thunder strike left them on the cusp of a huge three points, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to smash in a late free-kick. On the face of it, though, the draw was a step in the right direction, even if the manner of the stalemate will have left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Spain came into the World Cup under a cloud of uncertainty as Julen Lopetegui was relieved of his duties on the eve of the tournament. Fernando Hierro took over the reins for La Roja opted to start Koke alongside Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, which could have been construed as a surprise inclusion.
Throughout the dying embers of Lopetegui’s reign, Thiago Alcantara featured prominently in the middle of the park in the favoured 4-3-3 setup, yet was relegated to the bench at Koke’s expense against Portugal. This is likely to have been down to Koke’s defensive work rate against a Portugal side that would have enjoyed more of the ball than Group B rivals Iran and Morocco.
It’s for this reason why Hierro may elect to start Thiago against Iran tonight with Spain looking to enjoy more of the ball against Carlos Queiroz’s side. Koke was somewhat disappointing against Portugal on Friday night, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 6.51. The Atletico man made just one tackle and was dispossessed twice in 90 minutes in the 3-3 draw.
Having come on for Andres Iniesta on Friday, Thiago made one tackle, completed one dribble and returned a pass success rate of 89% and an injection of attacking impetus from the Bayern man may play a key role in landing a huge three points. Portugal’s 1-0 win over Morocco saw them move to the top of Group B with four points and Spain need a win tonight to ensure they don’t exit the competition at the group stage. It could be that Thiago is the lynchpin in the quest for victory as a result.
