EFC Brief

Just two minutes in at 0–0, and this one carries a genuine spread of Everton intrigue, most of it clustered in Spain's ranks. Rodri is the headline name for Toffee-minded observers — a midfielder long floated as the kind of controlling presence Everton could only dream of, now anchoring a Spain side expected to dominate the ball here. Watch how quickly he starts dictating tempo. Alongside him, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella complete a defensively assured Spanish spine, both names that have drifted through Everton-linked chatter over the years without ever landing at Goodison. Cucurella's overlapping runs down the left are worth tracking early. For Austria, the EFC thread runs through David Alaba, the veteran whose versatility and reading of the game would flatter any backline. With the match freshly underway and still goalless, expect Spain to press for control while Alaba marshals the resistance. Plenty to keep an eye on.