Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has insisted that persistence rather than panic is the answer following his side’s shocking draw against Cape Verde on Monday night.

La Roja came into the World Cup as one of the clear favourites to lift the trophy, yet found themselves held by a Cape Verde side making their debut in the tournament.

Spain dominated possession and created chances but struggled badly to convert, registering 27 shots while managing only six on target throughout the entire contest.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s unwanted touches record during the game illustrated just how little space Spain found in the final third against a deeply organised Cape Verde defence.

De la Fuente was quick to frame the result as a motivation to stay the course rather than abandon the principles that have brought his side this far.

“The solution lies in persisting with the same idea, continuing to improve with more finesse, but oh well… These are the kinds of matches where, as Rodri has explained, you create a lot, but without the freshness you need for these kinds of games,” he told Marca.

The Spanish manager pointed to the team’s record as proof that the current approach remains the correct one, noting that the draw extended their unbeaten run to 32 matches.

“The idea is what has brought us this far, what has made us European champions, what has allowed us to remain undefeated for so long; to continue betting on that idea, and also to continue betting on recovering the important players we need to recover, who will have an important role as we progress in the competition.”

De la Fuente acknowledged that Cape Verde executed their defensive game plan extremely well, but maintained that Spain’s quality will prove decisive as the tournament progresses.

“They are a very organised team. We knew they would be playing in a low block, making it very difficult to create space. Even so, we created chances, but we lacked some speed of passing to generate more. When the ball just won’t go in, it just won’t go in.”

He was candid about what separated this from a comfortable Spain victory, pointing to a lack of sharpness in the crucial moments of the match.

“If we had scored a goal in the first half, the game would have been different, but they do what they do very well. So in every match, you have to apply yourself with absolute precision at a very high level to be able to overcome your rivals.”

De la Fuente also addressed the decision to play Gavi out on the left wing rather than in his more natural central midfield role, which drew criticism from many observers after the final whistle.

“We thought Cape Verde would sit deeper, not as deep as they did, but their retreat was so deep, a result of our absolute dominance and the constant sense of danger we created,” he explained.

One of the more positive developments late in the game was the introduction of Lamine Yamal, who came on for the final 25 minutes, and Nico Williams, who entered for the last five minutes of the contest.

Both players have been working their way back from hamstring injuries over the past two months and de la Fuente was careful not to rush either of them back into the starting line-up.

“The goal is to gradually give them playing time, so they can gain confidence and rhythm and be in better shape for future matches,” he confirmed.

All eyes will now turn to Spain’s next World Cup group fixture against Saudi Arabia on Sunday, with the question of whether Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams or Victor Munoz will start from the beginning dominating the debate back home.

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