Spain left with 'bitter taste' after Egypt draw, says Pedri

Spain were left with a "bitter taste" in their mouths following a goalless draw in an international friendly with 10-man Egypt, so says Barcelona midfielder Pedri. 

A dominant display by the European champions failed to reap the rewards as Luis de la Fuente's side failed to follow up their 3-0 win over Serbia with another victory. 

La Roja had a whopping 25 shots worth an expected goals (xG) total of 2.3, but only six of those tested visiting goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir at RCDE Stadium. 

It was their most shots in a match without scoring in all competitions since June 2010, when they lost 0-1 to South Africa in their opening match of the 2010 World Cup (26).

And it went down as a memorable result for Egypt, given Spain had won 12 of their last 16 matches against African teams in all competitions (D2 L2) before Tuesday's draw.

"We had to give more rhythm to the ball [in the second half]. In the first, we were a little slow and in the second, better.

"Everyone is looking forward to the World Cup. Now we have to ​focus on our clubs and ​wait for the ⁠World Cup that we all want."

Their draw with Egypt, who were without the injured Mohamed Salah, was also Spain's final match before announcing their squad for this summer's World Cup. 

Unlike other nations, Spain do not have any more pre-tournament friendlies currently lined up before taking on Cape Verde in their first Group H match on June 15. 

But De la Fuente was asked about what the next two months would look like for him, most notably with the team selection, given the decisions he made this month. 

New additions to the Spain squad included Barcelona's Joan Garcia, Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera, Real Sociedad's Ander Barrenextea, and Osasuna's Victor Munoz.

The likes of Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand and Raul Asencio all missed out, along with Euro 2024 winner Alvaro Morata.

"It will not be different from what we have been doing. Player monitoring is key," De la Fuente added. 

"There will be detailed information and then a follow-up of all the rivals. But the most intense part is the detailed monitoring of the coach."

Spain's result also saw them relinquish top spot in the FIFA rankings to France, who beat Brazil and Colombia during the international break. 

"This shows what a number one is in any activity," the Spain boss said. "Conceding a draw, there's a team that does a little better than you and passes you.

"It's a great lesson to see that you have to give your best in every game. It's a great motivation to try to recover it in the next game."