Even though on paper, they do have the most talent. One of their biggest problems is most of their talent is very similar – look at their midfield, Xavi, Iniesta, and Cesc are all Barca trained playermakers even though Cesc’s England experience and Iniesta’s ball control have given them some differences, but even the so called defensive midfielders, Senna and Xabi Alonso, are known more for their technique, work ethic and intelligence than brute strength. There is also the lack of wingers, with Joaquin being left at home; Iniesta and Silva are both excellent on the side, but they are not “true” wingers and against teams with strong, defensive midfields they will struggle to get the ball to Villa and Torres.

I actually rate their defense among the best in the tournament, especially now that Cannavaro is out. Puyol is coming off a very poor season and will likely make mistakes, but he is still class on his day and his leadership and experience are very valuable. Hopefully he will be partnered with Albiol, a very talented and intelligent young defender, while Sergio Ramos might be the best RB in the world already, and Capdevila, long one of the most underrated fullbacks in the world, is in the form of his life and is the very definition of a reliable player.