Spanish national team midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez revealed he had to call on his two key weapons Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams and make them alert ahead of Spain’s one of the toughest matches against Germany in the Euro Cup quarterfinal in Stuttgart on Friday. 

Rodrigo divulged, "I have had to tell them off sometimes. In some conversations, they are the last ones to keep quiet and I tell them you are the last to come here. They are looking for each other all day long. They infect us with their innocence. They must have to become cautious.”

Rodrigo summoned all of his teammates in the get-together and cautioned them that Friday’s match against Germany is going to be an 'acid test'. 

Rodri commented, “I am not surprised at our results in the competition till date as we had played against big teams like Brazil, the Nations League. But now the decisive matches are coming up. I think we have to take a step forward. That is when we will be tested. What we have done is good, but honestly, it was not worth it. The next match we must play will be the real test for us.”

The Manchester City player observes that Spain today is “more vertical, much more forceful and clear in the areas,” than in the past. 

On his teammates and who has surprised him the most, he said: "I know them all but I'm left with the level that Cucurella is showing. I already knew him but the level he is showing in a context like this at a Euro Cup. He is helping us a lot, especially defensively because of the character he has. I love it and I hope he continues at this level. Also, he spreads a lot of joy with the hair he wears."

Significantly, Nico Williams mentioned the name of Tony Kroos as the key man in Germany. Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS Williams commented, “In the end, we all know Kroos. He is a great passer. He seems to have eyes in the back of his head. The truth is that he is a very complete player."

He continued, "We are going to have to run a lot in defensive tasks, but the team will thank us for that. We know that he is going to position himself on the left side. That is what he normally does. We will try to control him when we are in the medium block, low block. We have to show that we are committed.”