Euro 2020: Barcelona players going to UEFA Euro 2020
Barcelona players Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Pedri made it to the Spain squad
Spain are considered as one of the favourites for Euro 2020 and expected to go deep in the tournament. Luis Enrique announced the 24 man Spain squad on Monday which shockingly had no Real Madrid player with Sergio Ramos being a big exclusion. There are three Barcelona players who made it to the Spain Squad: Sergio Busquets, Pedri and Jordi Alba.
Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets had a decent season with Barcelona. After the initial struggles of adjusting to the 4-2-3-1 system under Ronald Koeman, Busquets did hit the ground running once Barca reverted to a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 with a focus on the midfield. The Spaniard was also being outrun and not able to set the tempo before but he really got his act together and sparkled in the second half of the campaign.
Busquets will likely be Luis Enrique’s preferred holding midfielder with Rodri being the second choice. Spain does not play a double pivot which will suit well for Busquets as he is acclimatized to playing as the sole holding midfielder, controlling the tempo and making the team tick.
Jordi Alba
Jordi Alba has been a resurgent knight after his struggles in 2019-2020 seasons. The diminutive figure posted excellent numbers for Barcelona, scoring 5 goals and registering 15 assists across all competitions. He deservedly made the cut for the Euros and will be hoping to maintain his excellent form for the country as well.
Luis Enrique had not called up Jordi Alba until the International fixtures in March 2021. Alba’s last Spain call up before this was in September 2019. Now, that he has made a return to the Spain squad, he will be hopeful of playing for the La Roja and possibly being ahead of Jose Gaya in the pecking order.
Pedri
Barcelona’s crown jewel Pedri blossomed in his first season in the Blaugrana shirt. He’s full of promise, creativity and imagination. Pedri’s exemplary form with Barcelona earned him a Spain call up at the age of 18 and now he’s made it to the Spain Euro 2020 squad. Pedri will be looking to make the most of this chance and impress on the national front as well.