Fighting fit and finely tuned
Having survived an injury scare to prolific goalscorer Justin Sherriff, the Irish go into this game against one of the pre-tournament favourites knowing that they have beaten the Spanish every time they have met in major championships.
Despite strained thumb ligaments Sherriff will line out at the Montjuich complex on Monday (8pm GMT), undoubtedly hoping to add to his magnificent tally of 22 international goals from 37 appearances.
However, according to the Irish team manager, Stephen Hiles, Ireland's only other injury worry, Gordon Elliot - with a notable 15 goals from 31 appearances will miss "the first two or three games" with a calf problem.
Other than that, Hiles reveals the Irish squad have come through a very intensive year so far in which they've played 16 internationals and, only the week before last, had a dry run at the competition venue in Barcelona narrowly beaten 1-0 by the Spanish, before beating and then losing to Italy).
"The reverse against the Italians was a bit unexpected, but as far as the rest of the preparation is concerned, we were delighted. I can honestly say we've never sent a better prepared team to a European Championships," says Hiles.
A loss on Monday will not be the end of the world. Indeed the Irish anticipate playing the hosts, in the opening match of the competition, in front of a hostile home crowd, might actually be advantageous in the long run.
"We've nothing to lose in the first game really. Spain and Germany are the favourites in our pool and our real aim is to beat the other teams in it France, Belgium and Russia and, if we do, then we could be in a fifth/sixth place play-off and we'd be happy with that," says Hiles.
He reckons head coach John Clarke is lucky to have a youthful, yet elatively experienced, squad.
"The average age of the squad is only 29 and that's quite young. Even so, they have an average of 39 caps each and that's a lot of mileage under the belts in hockey terms.
"They've been playing international hockey together for two years now and there is plenty of them who've racked up 40 to 50 caps. On top of that, the management is very happy with the levels of preparation they have put in and I have to say that the amount of effort the players have been making is fantastic, especially when you consider that they are amateurs.
"The strength and conditioning they have been doing under fitness coach Phil Moreland has been phenomenal. They are doing three weights sessions a week and they are out on the pitch three nights a week as well, so they really have been putting the work in."
Hiles says that the coaching staff, under Clarke, have been doing tremendous work in the lead-up to the European Championships and he says that the players have benefitted particularly from the influence of assistant coach Soma Singh, who has a vast amount of experience at this level.
"Soma came in to replace Jimmy Kirkwood and, in all honesty, it is not easy to replace someone of Jimmy' experience. However, Soma is a former Great Britain and England international who has over 190 caps to his name. He has played at the top for many years at Olympic, World and European levels.
"His experience is something very tangible for the players and his ability to get the most out of them in pressure situations is already evident. He's formed a strong working relationship with Hohn Clarke and we think that both men have helped move the team on considerably."
Hiles says that the facilities in Montjuich "are fabulous" and that the organisers have relayed the pitches originally put down for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 have been completely re-laid and are among the best he's ever seen.
"The facilities are excellent and, in fact, the dry run we did a couple of weeks ago was great because we not only got to play on the championship pitches, but we also stayed in the same hotel we'll use for the championships and we got to have a run out in conditions similar to those we'll get next week.
"Now all we need to do is to perform, and if we get a top-eight-finish we will be fairly happy because that will keep us in the A Grade for the next European Championships in two years time, which is very important."
Much of the hard work, therefore, has been done and little has been left to chance. At the last European Championships in Padova, Hiles says, the Irish team were under-prepared and, frankly, "the worst ever".
That certainly won't be the case this time around.
