Profligate Spain shares scoreless stalemate with reduced Egypt side in pre-tournament friendly

With the World Cup on the horizon, players from both teams were keen to make their mark in this penultimate warm-up game.

Pedro Porro had a fierce shot stopped just a minute in, while Egypt countered swiftly, nearly surprising David Raya with a long-range effort from Mohanad Lasheen.

Spain generated a few more opportunities shortly after – the fixture having been shifted from Qatar to the edges of Barcelona at short notice – yet stout defending ensured Shobeir faced little pressure.

Possession and openings remained balanced thereafter, though Egypt undoubtedly carved out the halfs standout moment.

Stepping up without Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush evaded defenders near the penalty area, spun, and unleashed a shot across the face of goal that struck the foot of the upright.

Such a scoreline would have rewarded the diligent away team, who demonstrated their grit once more near the interval as Hamdy Fathy intercepted to thwart Ferran Torress easy finish.

Numerous forward substitutions at the break instantly bolstered Spains attack, but the Egyptian keeper stood firm. Fermín López collected the ball on the fringes of the box and navigated inside, only for Shobeir to deflect his effort narrowly astray.

Pedri was repelled twice in quick succession, followed by Cristhian Mosquera nodding just too high from Dani Olmos delivery.

Spains hopes of clinching victory received a lift towards the end, when Fathy tripped Borja Iglesias and then mockingly clapped the official, earning a second dismissal.

Shobeir still managed one final stop, diverting Alejandro Grimaldos free-kick against the crossbar to confirm the deadlock.

This outcome stretches Spains winless streak avoidance to an impressive 28 games, but they must elevate their performance to surpass their quarter-final eliminations in the previous three competitions.

For Egypt, the focus is on securing their inaugural World Cup triumph during only their second finals outing since 1990.