La Roja face Albania on Saturday evening at the RCDE Stadium.
It’s an important friendly as Luis Enrique prepares his team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They then play Iceland the following Tuesday in Galicia.
Luis Enrique is building something special with the Spanish national team. They made it to the semi-final of Euro 2020 only to lose to eventual winners Italy and reached the final of the Nations League only to lose to world champions France.
The Asturian will be keen for his men to produce a convincing performance against Albania, who have a familiar face in their ranks in Barcelona forward Rey Manaj.
The 25-year-old is contracted to Barcelona B but is currently on loan with Italian side Spezia. He played and scored for the first team during pre-season and has made 25 appearances for the Albanian national team, scoring six goals for his country.
“It’s a very nice game because of the atmosphere there’s going to be,” Manaj told Mundo Deportivo. “A friendly for us isn’t as important as a qualifying match, but we’re going to try to create difficulties for one of the best teams in the world.
“We’re a team that has grown a lot. Almost all our players are playing in first divisions and we have to gain confidence and prove ourselves in the next European Championship. We have to show on the field that we can compete with any rival.”
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