Slovenia coach Srecko Katanec was under no illusions on the eve of his country's biggest ever game, the Group B encounter with Spain in Amsterdam.

'We are going to be playing against elite European players who we would normally only have a chance of watching on TV,' he said.

His comments might just have been a cunning plan to distract the Spaniards, still reeling from an opening-day defeat by Norway.

Katanec, at 36 the youngest coach in Euro 2000, admitted: 'Unlike Spain we have nothing to lose. This is the first major competition for our team and we are the underdogs. There again, we thought it would be impossible to qualify but we managed that,' he added.

Spain coach Jose Camacho is expected to ring the changes after that defeat by Norway. Raul, who has sealed a bumper new five-year deal with Real Madrid, looks likely to be partnered by Alfonso up front.

Alfonso said: 'We expect to have more opportunities against Slovenia than we did in the match with Norway. Little by little we have to forget our title of favourites and get our feet back on the ground.'