Ireland looking to derail Barca-fuelled Spanish express

SPAIN, THE big kahunas. World and European champions, best national side in the world, without question one of the finest national teams the game has ever seen.

Built on the back of the great Barcelona side that has won two out of the past three Champions Leagues, they are – depending on your taste – the guardians of the game the way it ought to be played or tippy-tappy purveyors of death- by-a-thousand-cuts passing football that would bore you to tears.

One way or the other, they’re the team to beat having lost just six games out of 51 since Del Bosque took over as manager in 2008.

So dominant were Spain in qualifying that they only found themselves behind once during the whole campaign. For 40 minutes in Granada in March of this year, they trailed the Czech Republic by a Jaroslav Plasil goal. They tidied it up with two David Villa goals in three minutes heading into the final quarter, dusted their hands and moved right along. It’s the nearest they’ve come to having a hair out of place since Switzerland caused that upset in the opening game of last year’s World Cup.

That game – as well as their recent defeat at Wembley against England – provides some sort of template when it comes to beating them. Although they passed both teams to death, they couldn’t find a way through defences and midfields that grimly refused to let them get a sight of goal.

Against England, they had 70 per cent possession and fired in 21 shots compared to England’s three, and still they only matched England’s total of two shots on target. The stats were weighted even more in their favour against Switzerland. And yet they couldn’t find a way either time.

The knock against them – and you’ll hear this quite a bit over the coming seven months or so – is that they’re Barcelona without Lionel Messi. David Silva does his thing in there instead and with Xavi and Iniesta still indefatigable, there’s likely going to be no starting place for Cesc Fabregas come next June.

Xavi Alonso and Sergio Busquets will anchor their midfield, making them just about impossible to dispossess.

But we know all this. We’ve seen all this. The question now is whether Spain can keep it up as they have in the past two major tournaments and pass and move their way to an unprecedented third title in a row. It proved beyond France in 2002 when they went to South Korea and Japan similarly dominant.

Ireland play Spain in Gdansk on Thursday, June 14th

Spain

Manager: Vicente Del Bosque (Age 60)

All-time record v Ireland: Played 24 Won 13 Lost 4 Drew 7

Last three meetings: June 16th, 2002, Suwon: Ireland 1 Spain 1 (Spain won 3-2 on penalties); October 13th, 1993, Dublin: Ireland 1 Spain 3. November 18th, 1992, Dublin: Ireland 0 Spain 0

Qualification: Breezed through Group I, winning all eight of their games against the Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein. Scored 26, conceded just six.

Star man: David Villa, Xavi Hernandez and Andreas Iniesta make the Spanish team tick but Villa has gradually become the best finisher in the world over the past five years. Overtook Raul as Spain's leading scorer during the qualifying campaign.

Betting: To win group: 4/6; To win tournament: 9/4