Spain are supposed to be one of the favourites heading into the World Cup, so drawing 1-1 with Iraq at home is not exactly the kind of form you want to be carrying into a tournament. It wasn't a disaster, but it was one of those performances that makes you raise an eyebrow and quietly wonder if everything is quite as sorted as it looks on paper.
The big talking point before kick-off was the absence of Lamine Yamal, and honestly, the match showed just how much that kid matters to this Spain side. Without him, the attacking play felt laboured and a bit predictable. Spain still had plenty of the ball, as they always do, but there was a flatness to them in the final third that you simply don't see when Yamal is on the pitch doing something ridiculous every ten minutes.
Iraq, to their credit, were well-organised and refused to just sit back and be walked over. They matched Spain's goal and looked genuinely threatening on the counter at times. That is not something many international sides can say against the reigning European champions, so fair play to them for making a proper game of it.
For Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, there will be some reassurance that this was a warm-up and Yamal wasn't risked. You'd hope the performance was partly a consequence of his absence rather than any deeper issue with the squad's cohesion. Spain have too much quality for this to be a genuine concern, but it's a reminder that they aren't quite as unstoppable without their star teenager running at defenders.
The World Cup is still a little while away, so Spain have time to sharpen things up. But if you're an opposing manager watching that performance, you're probably feeling a touch more confident than you were yesterday. Get Yamal back, get the system clicking, and Spain will look very different. Without him though, they look surprisingly mortal.
Let me know your thoughts.