World Cup preview: Spain poised to retake the throne after brief blip

Normal service had resumed in Spain ... until about 24 hours before the start of the World Cup, that is.

A winner of three consecutive major international tournaments between 2008 and 2012 - Spain's golden generation brushed aside the competition during a four-year spell of tiki-taka-inspired dominance - the Iberian nation went into Russia as one of the favourites for the World Cup, looking to put the recent setbacks of 2014 and 2016 in the rearview mirror.

The team blitzed through qualifying, and brought arguably the most talented squad in the world to the tournament.

And then all hell broke loose.

Manager Julen Lopetegui was sacked one day after it was announced that he would become Real Madrid boss following the World Cup, and Fernando Hierro was named his replacement after a stunning series of events.

Related: Lopetegui sacked as Spain coach on eve of World Cup

On paper, Spain remains a serious threat for the crown. Will the last-minute managerial mayhem be too much of a distraction to overcome?

Group stage schedule

Projected starting XI

New bench boss Fernando Hierro could field a plethora of lineups, in various tactical setups, that would each give La Roja a chance to hoist football's greatest prize - you need only to look at some of the noteworthy talent left off the squad altogether to see the wealth of options at the manager's disposal. But he's likely to opt for the tried-and-tested system that Lopetegui used throughout qualifying, which will look (at least on paper) like a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, with the two "wingers" each given freedom to tuck inside, sit in the hole, and link up with the midfielders to help facilitate Spain's vaunted pass-and-move, possession-based game.

Many areas of the squad depend heavily on the influence of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the width will be provided by full-backs Jordi Alba and Dani Carvajal; the latter is expected to be fit after a hamstring injury in the Champions League final saw him leave the pitch in tears.

The likes of Marco Asensio, Koke, and Cesar Azpilicueta, among others, give the Spaniards some of the best bench options in the competition, too.

Related: Full squad lists for each nation

Manager: Fernando Hierro

Will the Real Madrid legend, called in to replace Lopetegui after the stunning decision by Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales to fire the 51-year-old, really change anything about the team's approach on the pitch? It seems unlikely, given how dominant the Spaniards looked en route to claiming their place in Russia.

Spain's style - dominate the ball and pass the opposition to death - remained largely consistent under Lopetegui; he managed to reinvigorate the squad by blending some of the world's premier young talent with members of the old guard who were instrumental in scooping up three major tournament wins in succession.

Hierro, one would think, will continue with that approach.

Key player: Isco

Much of the attention over the next month will go to living legend Andres Iniesta, and with good reason: After scoring the goal that gave Spain its maiden World Cup triumph in 2010, the newly minted Vissel Kobe recruit will look to craft another iconic moment in what is almost definitely his final foray with the national team. But while The Don attracts the eyeballs, he's no longer the pulse of the team. That distinction belongs to Real Madrid's Isco, whose ability to pull the strings from his attacking midfield position has made him the obvious heir apparent to his Barcelona counterpart.

His silky dribbling skills, incisive and accurate passing, and ability to pop up anywhere on the pitch and orchestrate things make him a nightmare to game plan for and defend. His humiliation of Marco Verratti and Italy's hapless midfield in September - when he scored twice in a 3-0 win - was one of the standout performances of the qualifying stage for this tournament, and there's no reason he can't replicate that showing in Russia.

Breakout star: Iago Aspas

Sure, a 30-year-old striker doesn't quite fit the mold of your prototypical "breakout star," but when the younger, more traditional contenders for this title are already household names playing at massive clubs, like Asensio (22) and Saul Niguez (23), it forces you to think outside the box.

Enter Iago Aspas. Coming off a season in which he finished fourth in La Liga scoring with 22 tallies - bettered only by guys named Messi, Ronaldo, and Suarez - this tournament is the Celta Vigo star's best opportunity to open the eyes of anybody who dismissed his talents after his fruitless one-year stint with Liverpool in 2013-14.

Spain flirted with using a false nine at times in qualifying - the side's collection of diminutive, interchangeable attackers lends itself well to that approach - but it seems set to play a recognized centre-forward in Russia. The truculence of Diego Costa offers an important alternative approach should Spain find the need to use a battering ram instead of a rapier when trying to break down the packed backline of lesser opponents, but while the Atletico striker is likely to get the nod out of the gate, his suitability to Spain's fluid passing system has been in question since his decision to switch allegiances from Brazil. With Alvaro Morata surprisingly left at home, a slow start - or injury - for Costa would open the door for Aspas to jump in and assume the coveted role of chief scoring threat on a team that creates chances for fun.

Fans should be happy if ...

Both the stunning 2014 meltdown in Brazil and the limp 2016 exit in France are in the rearview mirror; Spain, buoyed by injecting the nation's next wave of young stars into the squad, heads to the World Cup at its free-flowing, imperious best. As one of the favourites in Russia, Spanish supporters expect nothing less than the team returning to the Iberian peninsula with the World Cup Trophy in hand - even if they've been given a shock by the managerial upheaval heading into the tournament.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)