SPAIN v TUNISIA MATCH PREVIEW
Andy Morgan

The game of the day sees Spain take on their near-neighbours Tunisia in the evening kick-off in Stuttgart. Spain were imperious in demolishing the Ukraine 4-0 in their last match whilst Tunisia go into this after a morale-boosting last-minute equaliser against Saudi Arabia which earned them a 2-2 draw.

Understandably, Spain are likely to remain unchanged for this fixture, after not picking up any injuries in their last game. This however means that striker Raul will once more start on the bench in favour of Fernando Torres and David Villa. The former scored one whilst the latter scored two in their 4-0 victory against the Ukranians and Torres won the penalty that supplied his Valencia-based team-mate with his brace. Both were a constant menace up-front and warrant their start again.

The Tunisian defence will have to be tight to contain these two, which may be difficult for a defence that conceded nine goals in qualifying and two to Saudi Arabia. They were undone by simple mistakes against the Saudis and have a tendency to play too far up field. If they do this again expect them to be murdered by the Spanish frontline. However in Hatem Trabelsi they have a strong committed defender who needs to show the world what he is made of. Under duress at Ajax, the twenty-nine year old with sixty international caps to his name is looking for another club for which to play.

Tunisia are the only Africian side with previous experience of the World Cup and this should bode them well for this tie. However they are still a weak side and it's hard to see them being able to pick up any points here. In Roger Lemerre they do have an experienced coach however. He believes that the Tunisian's physical presence will rough up the Spaniards and will allow them to go on to win the game.

So expect the midfield to be the key battle area, with possibly a 3-5-2 or 4-5-1 formation being adapted to soak up the Spanish pressure. They know that if they let Spain play they will suffer and so a game of nullification will be on the cards for the Tunisians. Lemerre is also fuming at the mistakes that cost his side a vital win against Saudi Arabia and will be determined to put those right this evening. He will have to do this without forward Francileudo dos Santos who is still has a 50/50 chance of playing as he is yet to recover from a shin injury.

Spain coach Luis Aragones meanwhile believes that Tunisia will provide a tougher test than the Ukranians. Movement is the key to them, citing that the Tunisian midfield and particularly their strikers, Zied Jaziri and Yassine Chikhaoui are a constant menace. Chikhauori is yet to break his duck for his country whilst Jaziri scored his seventeenth goal for his country against Saudi Arabia. The more technical nature of their play has been singled out by Aragones as a cause for concern.

In Luis Garcia, Jose Antonio Reyes, Asier Del Horno and the two strikers they have too much quality to be threatened by this Tunisian outfit and nothing other than a Spainish win is likely. But if the past is anything to go by, the Spainiards do sometimes capitulate to sides like this. However I don't think it will happen this time.

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