Superior skill will see Spain through playoff, says Luque

Albert Luque believes the superior technical skill of Spain's players will give them a significant advantage over Norway in the Euro 2004 playoffs.

"Norway are a strong side," the Deportivo Coruna striker said at a news conference at Spain's training base near Madrid on Tuesday.

"Their strengths are their speed and physical power, but we are technically superior and we can take advantage of that. It would be a real failure if we didn't make it through to the finals."

Spain, who finished as runners-up to Greece in Group Six of the qualifying tournament, host Norway in Valencia on Saturday and travel to Oslo for the return leg next Wednesday.

Luque, who will be competing with Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres and Jose Antonio Reyes for a place up front alongside skipper Raul, said he believed Spain were the clear favourites to win their way through to the finals in Portugal next year.

"Spain are one of the strongest national sides around and they have to be in Euro 2004," he said.

"We are definitely the favourites, although we realise that we have a lot of responsibility too. Our aim is to try and resolve the tie in the first leg, so that we don't have to go to Norway with it all to do."

Valencia defender Carlos Marchena said he was not keen on the favourites tag and that Norway would almost certainly prove to be very tricky opponents.

"They have also won their way through to the play-off stage and we will only be able to judge the strength of the two sides after the two games," he said.

"They have a very strong aerial game and we will have to do our best to counteract that and make sure that we are the ones who control the game."

Spain, who have not failed to qualify for a major tournament since the European championships in 1992, lost 1-0 to Norway the last time the two sides met at Euro 2000.