Kepa Arrizabalaga begins to rival David De Gea for Spain as Alvaro Morata's resurgence continues

Five talking points from La Roja's back-to-back wins at the start of Euro 2020 qualifying
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Ben Hayward27 March 2019

Two games and two wins. Spain kicked off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 with back-to-back victories over the past few days to lead Group F with six points out of six.

On Saturday, Luis Enrique's side beat Norway 2-1 at Mestalla in their opening game, before a comfortable 2-0 success away to Malta on Tuesday night.

Those two wins see La Roja top Group F as the only side with a 100% record after two games, ahead of Sweden (four), Romania and Malta (three), Norway (one) and the Faroe Islands (zero).

Here is a look at five talking points from Spain's two matches this week...

Sergio Ramos and the art of the Panenka

The Spain skipper scored the winner in the victory over Norway on Saturday - which was more difficult than it should have been. The Real Madrid defender converted from the penalty spot with what is becoming his trademark: the Panenka.

Ramos has taken 10 penalties for club and country this season and scored them all. Of the 10, five have been taken in the style named after the former Czech striker, Antonin Panenka, who first used the chipped spot-kick against West Germany at the 1976 European Championship.

Sergio Ramos' penalty helped Spain get their campaign off to a winning start against Norway
AFP/Getty Images

"I decided that I would stand up straight, that I would be ready if he tried to chip me," Norway goalkeeper Rune Jarstein said after Saturday's game. "Then, right before he hit the penalty, for some reason I changed my mind and I dived right. It was a bad decision."

The Real defender has yet to miss a penalty when using this style, but no player has utilised the Panenka technique quite as frequently as the 32-year-old. So far, he has fooled them all, but it is a risky strategy.

Morata's revival is a reality

Not many Chelsea fans will miss Alvaro Morata, but the former Real striker looks a different player since signing for Atletico in January and he is now performing for both club and country.

Morata worked hard in Spain's win over Norway and although he failed to score in that match, he was on target twice as La Roja beat Malta on Tuesday.

Alvaro Morata's recent revival continued during the international break
AFP/Getty Images

He now has 15 goals for Spain and no player has scored more than that since he made his international debut in November 2014.

For Atletico, he has only netted three times so far, but was unfortunate to see strikes against Real Madrid and Juventus controversially ruled out by VAR before getting off the mark in a 2-0 win over Villarreal last month.

Kepa could challenge De Gea in the long term

When David de Gea moved to Manchester United from Atletico Madrid, it took some time for the goalkeeper to adapt. Kepa Arrizabalaga will need a similar process of adaptation at Chelsea following his transfer from Athletic Club in the summer.

De Gea has gone on to become one of the world's best in his position, but he has struggled for Spain in recent times and in the long term, Kepa could challenge for the No1 spot.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa started against Malta on Tuesday 
PA

The 24-year-old was a virtual spectator against Malta on Tuesday, but the Spain staff are clearly keen to give the Chelsea goalkeeper his chances in the starting XI and he is seen as a future No1.

For the time being, De Gea remains first choice, but there have been some calls already for Kepa to be the main man and the Manchester United custodian looks set to have competition from his younger rival in the years ahead.

Spain now much more than Madrid and Barcelona

Spain's squad during their successful spell between 2010 and 2014 was dominated by Barcelona's players and more recently, Real Madrid have had the core of the national team

But coach Luis Enrique has used 43 players so far since taking over in the summer and is keen to take a look at those from other clubs.

Valencia midfielder Dani Parejo started against Norway at Mestalla
Getty Images

Apart from Barca, Madrid and Atletico, this latest squad saw chances for players from Valencia, Athletic Club, Sevilla, Betis, Espanyol and even Valladolid, with opportunities for Dani Parejo, Mario Hermoso and Jaime Mata among others, plus recalls for Jesus Navas and Iker Muniain.

The message is clear: good performances will be rewarded, no matter the club – which has not always been the case in the past.

Family first for Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique missed the Malta qualifier due to a family matter, which has not been revealed by the media, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) called for privacy.

"Míster, we are very sorry about the news. We hope everything turns out as well as possible. The team are with you," Ramos tweeted before the game, adding that "family is sacred".

Luis Enrique was absent on Tuesday due to a family matter 
AFP/Getty Images

Luis Enrique's assistant, Robert Moreno, took charge of the match against Malta and after the win, he said: "It's my hardest day as a professional. I hope everything turns out well."

Spain's next game is away to the Faroe Islands on June 7 and Luis Enrique should be back on the bench for that one.

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