Tuesday will see Spain and Germany, two of the biggest teams in international football, lock horns in a highly-anticipated UEFA Nations League showdown. The competition is into the sixth and final matchday of the group stage, with this ultimate game being described as a "do or die match" by La Furia Roja ace Rodri.
This match will decide who progresses to the finals. Die Mannschaft currently boast the lead, sitting a mere point ahead of Luis Enrique's men, a result that came about from their 1-1 slip-up vs Switzerland in the recent round. This means that this is a must-win game for Spain if they wish to progress past the group stage for the first time, having failed to do so in the previous edition.
Not even a draw would suffice, hence Rodri's labelling of this fixture. The Man City ace went a step further when discussing the importance of Tuesday's clash, admitting that it could be a warm-up for a potential Euro 2020 knockout stage showdown, which is possible, given the permutations
"We expect Germany to have a strong team as always, this can be a good test of how we are in a life or death match," Rodri said, as per Marca.
"They will push us to our limit as happened in Stuttgart, but our mentality doesn't change, we want to win. The coach asks us to face each match as if it was in the European Championship, and the best way to get to that tournament ready is to compete in every single match."
One concern for the 2010 World Cup winners is their form in front of goal. The Spaniards have struggled to find the back of the net with ease as of late, scoring only three goals in their last five fixture. In fact, Luis Enrique's side have failed to score more than once in a single in all but one of their five UEFA Nations League group-stage fixtures this season.
However, Rodri is not overly worried about this. "I don't know if the number of goals is so important, what matters is winning," the midfielder stated. "I don't see many teams that score so many goals. Everything is very even, there are no uneven, heavy results, we're feeling calm about it."
Will Spain beat Germany and reach the finals? That remains unknown but pulling it off would be the best result ahead of next year's crucial European Championship. Failure to do so, however, would hint at another continental disappointment after winning back-to-back Euros in 2008 and 2012.
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