Spain's players demand attacking style, says coach De la Fuente

Spain will embrace their attacking instincts when they face the Netherlands in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday in a match that would be a fitting European Championship final, said coach Luis de la Fuente.

Spain topped Nations League A Group Four with 16 points, winning five games and drawing one, while the Netherlands finished second in Group Three, five points behind Germany.

"We have to get the best out of the players, and our players want to enjoy the ball and attack a lot," De la Fuente told a press conference on Wednesday.

"It's not that it's a formula for success, which sometimes ends and has to be modified, but the players demand that style. I believe that the virtue of a coach is to get the best out of his players, so we try to give them what they ask of us."

European Champions Spain will attempt to become the first team to defend the Nations League title, which they won in 2023, and hope to take control of the tie in the Netherlands before playing the return leg at home.

"We always want to win," De la Fuente said. "So we're going to try to do our job well, against a very important rival.

"It's a very difficult match, very tough, against great players. And they are all playing at the highest level in Europe. Tomorrow's a match that could almost be a European Championship final."

Spain will be without striker Ferran Torres for the game.

"Ferran has had a problem, he suffered a knock in Barca's last game," the coach said.

"We always look out for the player's health here. So, since there was a problem that wasn't letting him train normally, we decided that he should stop and recover properly.

"He'd be able to play but we are not going to take any risks, and we hope to have him back in perfect condition on Sunday (for the second leg)."