PRE MATCH | Spain clings on to its home turf to continue its winning streak
It took centuries to conquer it, and no national team, except Spain, knows what it's like to win a match in Granada.
The love affair between the National Team and the city of Granada continues this Tuesday (8:45 PM, Spanish Peninsula Time, live on La1 with minute-by-minute coverage through this official channel) with the visit of Cyprus in a qualifying duel on the road to the Euro 2024.
Click here to listen to statements from coach Luis de la Fuente and player Fabián Ruiz ahead of the match.
To date, there have been eight opportunities in which both the old and the new Los Cármenes have witnessed the national team play, with an impressive record of one draw and seven victories, the first of which was more than half a century ago, precisely against Cyprus.
The island team, ranked 118th in the FIFA ranking, has always suffered heavy defeats in their visits to Spain and has yet to earn any points in the qualifying matches, making the outlook optimistic for Luis de la Fuente and his team, especially after their performance last week in Tbilisi.
Spain has always scored heavily against Cyprus at home but suffered a loss on the Mediterranean island a quarter of a century ago.
However, confidence must not be taken for granted, as the coach has emphasized in the lead-up to a match that will see the inclusion of Ferran Torres and Yeremy Pino in Spain's list of call-ups, replacing the injured Dani Olmo and Marco Asensio, who were injured in the match against Georgia. Their participation is expected to be crucial against Cyprus's likely defensive setup.
Italian referee Simone Sozza will officiate the match, assisted by his compatriots Alberto Tegoni and Marco Bresmes on the sidelines.
This, along with the unwavering support of the Granada fans, who will fill the stands of Nuevo Los Cármenes, will be some of the key factors for a team eager to secure another victory, solidify their position in the qualifying standings, and inch closer to the group leader, Scotland, their next opponent.
Italian Simone Sozza will officiate the match on a summer Tuesday evening with an expected temperature of 25 degrees and ideal conditions for Granada to remain the strong and beloved fortress of the national team.
