Hopes for Spain’s Nations League final rest on Germany’s victory

Switzerland has once again put an obstacle in the way of Spain, as they did at the 2010 World Cup. There, at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, the European champion and a pre-tournament favorite took a hit when Gelson Fernandes inflicted defeat in the first round of Group H matches . Spain would go on to win the World Cup after defeating Germany in the semifinals and Luis Enrique’s team will need history to repeat itself to secure their passage to the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals after taking off again at the hands of the Swiss.

Sergio Ramos grabbed the headlines on Saturday for becoming the European player with the most international appearances of all time.But the Real Madrid defender also missed two penalties when Spain drew 1-1 with Switzerland at St. Jakob-Park. Germany, meanwhile, came back in Leipzig to defeat Ukraine 3-1 and move to the top of Group 4 with a round of matches remaining He will face Luis Enrique against Joachim Löw in a direct shootout for a place in the final.

Spain cannot afford stumbling blocks in Seville

The math for Spain is pretty straightforward: nothing less than a victory over Germany.. A draw will not be enough for La Roja to progress and Enrique will be ruining his team’s 1-0 defeat in Ukraine, although the outlook could be considerably worse if it weren’t for the late goals of José Luis Gayà in Germany and Gerard Moreno in Switzerland. Germany has also had its luck; a 3-0 deficit against Switzerland was finally canceled by one point and Löw’s team didn’t have it easy in Ukraine either.

Spain will enjoy the advantage of playing at home for the match, which will be played at La Cartuja in Seville, where the Timo Werner in shape will provide a torturous afternoon behind Enrique. Without a doubt, all eyes will be on the spot if Spain receives a penalty.