Spain has the key to stopping Mbappé
The duel against Kylian Mbappé, one of the world's most decisive players, hampered by a nasal fracture, is one of Spain's concerns in the semifinals, and Marc Cucurella pointed out keys like "being united" and "being supportive" in assistance.
"We will have to be very focused. When we are attacking, we must always be vigilant because they have very fast players up top who want to exploit. The game depends on us staying very concentrated. If we are alert, we can quickly regain the ball when we lose it, which will give us many opportunities," analyzed Cucurella.
"Football is more of a team game. If it were one-on-one, it would be difficult, but we depend on ourselves. We are good with the ball and a very supportive team. We spare no effort, give everything for each other, and that's the key. We must be united and minimize their counterattacks, which is their strongest point," he added.
With Dani Carvajal absent, who won't be able to mark his future Real Madrid teammate, it seems likely that Jesús Navas will take his place. Cucurella was asked if he would accept a change of position to be the one to mark Mbappé.
"It's the coach who has to make the decision. I always try to give my best, but he decides. Whoever plays will show they are a great player. To be here, we've all had to earn it, and whoever plays, it's a great privilege, but it's Luis de la Fuente's decision," he acknowledged.
What Cucurella is sure of is that, whoever plays, Spain has a defined style and personality, and has already proven to be prepared to face top-class players.
"In the end, no matter how fast they are, if we have the ball, we won't let them run. Being close to them, we can counter them very effectively. Against Germany, we showed we could suffer, and they also had fast players like Musiala or Sané, whom we managed to counter well. The most important thing is us, no matter how fast they are. If we have the ball and play our game, we can cause them a lot of damage," he concluded.