Romania vs. Spain: Euro 2020 Qualifying Odds, Live Stream, TV Info
Robert Moreno will undergo his first official test as Spain manager on Thursday when his side travel to face Romania in Group F of UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying.
La Roja are unbeaten in their last five matches and lead Group F having won each of their four qualifiers so far.
They're five points ahead of Sweden (second) and Romania (third), who could add some welcome spice to the pool if they managed to pull off an unlikely-looking upset at theย National Stadium in the capital, Bucharest.
Spain appointed Moreno as coach in June after Luis Enrique resigned due to personal reasons. Enrique's nine-year-old daughter, Xana, recently died five months after being diagnosed with bone cancer, per BBC Sport.
Date:ย Thursday, September 5
Time:ย 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET
Venue:ย National Stadium, Bucharest, Romania
TV Info:ย Sky Sports Football (UK), Univision NOW (U.S.)
Odds
Romania:ย 13-2
Draw:ย 7-2
Spain:ย 4-9
Viaย Oddschecker.com.
Preview
Spain travel to Bucharest on Thursday having won their previous two fixtures on the road, although previous opponents Malta and the Faroe Islands look like much simpler competition by contrast.
The trip will serve as a litmus test for new coach Moreno, who recently enjoyed his first full day as first-team coach alongside the playing staff, viaย The Spanish Football Podcast:
Squad selection is always a heatedย topic of discussion for Spain, a nation boasting one of the deepest talent pools in Europe that has little choice but to frequently disappoint a host of top-ranked stars.
Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta is one notable absence from Moreno's first squad. Goal's Nizaar Kinsella recently remarked upon his poor start to the English campaign under new Blues manager Frank Lampard:
Romania coach Cosmin Contra boasts a squad with a mixture of youth and experience.
Ajax's Razvan Marin is a particularly promising talent in midfield and already has 17 caps at the age of 23, but 20-year-old Ianis Hagiโson of legend Gheorgheโis one of the new kids on the block.
George Puscas, 23, has impressed in attack for Romania and looks to be flourishing after he joined Championship club Reading from Inter Milan this summer, viaย Soccer AM:
Spain have a couple of new faces to call upon in the upcoming pair of European qualifiers. Athletic Bilbao defender Unai Nunez, 22, and Paris Saint-Germain's Pablo Sarabia could make their debuts.
Football writer Simon Harrison doesn't know how the midfielderโwho joined PSG from Sevilla this summerโhasn't appeared in national team colours already:
The 27-year-old is already off to a promising start in France and recorded his first Ligue 1 assists in his second start for PSG.
Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata is Spain's joint-top scorer in qualifying with three goals. Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is the other with three to his name, though Moreno needs new names to step up considering no-one else in the squad has more than one strike (four players).
