Spain enter the Under-21 European Championships as favourites with Luis Milla’s side hoping to emulate the success of the full side in Denmark this month.
The Spanish kick off their campaign against Stuart Pearce’s England, who reached the final in 2009 but lost heavily to a German side which included Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller.
Similar to the England side, many of Spain’s personnel ply their trade in La Liga and have had relatively strong seasons at their respective clubs.
Demark promises to showcase the very best in young European talent and below are five of Spain’s player who will be looking to shine.
Cesar Azpilicueta
The 21-year-old joined Marseille last June from Osasuna and immediately looked bright as he was thrust into a regular first-team spot at right-back. Having ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments last November, the Spaniard’s swift progress was limited to 19 appearances. His stats within those games are impressive, however, as he averaged 3.9 tackles per game - the highest out of Marseille’s side, as well as 3.7 clearances. Having returned to full fitness, he is likely to be Spain’s first-choice right-back in Denmark.
Ander Herrera
An impressive season for Real Zaragoza has led the 21-year-old to be transferred to Athletic Bilbao ahead of the new season. Statistically, the midfielder was largely uninspiring with 1.1 key passes per game, with an accuracy of 76%. But Whoscored.com’s rating of 6.86 over the season backs up how crucial he was to Zaragoza’s survival last term. His only blemish on a promising campaign was displaying a rash streak which saw him collect 13 yellow cards.
Javi Martinez
The Athletic Bilbao midfielder is captain of Spain’s Under-21 side and his imposing term in La Liga should see the 22-year-old fare well in Denmark this month. Enjoying more of a defensive role in the middle of the pitch, Martinez won 69% of his aerial duels, while his average of 2.5 tackles and 4.1 interceptions were pivotal in Bilbao’s engine room last season. Martinez also made 2.3 clearances, the highest out of any of his midfield team-mates, while the average he was fouled, 2.4 times per game, shows he was a regular figure on the ball for Bilbao.
Juan Mata
Arguably, the player who had the most influential season for his club last term. The Valencia winger featured predominantly on the left flank and his talismanic performances reaped 12 assists (the fifth highest from any player in La Liga), as well as eight league goals. Mata’s use of the ball was also strong as his average of 2.24 passes per game with an overall success rate of 86% was not too far from Ozil’s tally for Real Madrid.
Bojan
The man reported to be the makeweight in any deal involving Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez. The Barcelona forward has endured another frustrating campaign, and his six goals from 34 appearances suggest the 20-year-old is on borrowed time at the Camp Nou this summer. While his pass success rate of 85% is typical of a player who’s risen through the club’s La Masia academy, his inability to significantly contribute to a match, as shown with his two assists all season, a 0.44 key passing average and an average shots per game ratio of just one, warrant Demark as a temporary shop window in a bid to showcase his talent for a prospective side.
