Spain started this World Cup with a seven-goal rout of Costa Rica. Tiki-taka, they said, was alive and kicking as Luis Enrique’s boys put up a Brazil-like display that made them immediate favourites for the championship. But since then, Spain have flattered to deceive.

Spain’s problem does not require any particularly complex analysis: They dominate games but do not score goals. They are all aesthetic appeal but unlike Brazil, they struggle to find the back of the net. Against Germany and Japan, it was exposed: held to a draw by the former, beaten by two quick-fire sucker punches by the latter.

And against Morocco, it was made to pay. Coach Walid Regragui’s team held the Spanish at bay with a practised expertise. Enrique’s side threatened only fleetingly: a chance for Álvaro Morata here, a Dani Olmo free kick there, Pablo Sarabia clipping the post with what proved to be the final kick before penalties. Much of the time, though, there was simply no way through the unmoving, unyielding Moroccan backline.

Crunch the numbers. Spain played 1,041 passes against Morocco’s 343 and completed 967 passes compared to their rival’s 229. Against Japan, they had played 39 passes more than they did on Tuesday.

“It’s just that we did not score (against Morocco). Yes, we could have created more opportunities, it’s true. But I do not agree we did not dominate. Our midfielders (the Barcelona trio of Pedri, Gavi and captain Sergio Busquets) were excellent,” Enrique said, refuting suggestions at the post-match media meet that Spain did not play well against Morocco. “Knowing how to lose is important in life too,” he added with a philosophical touch.

Enrique, the former Barcelona coach under whom the club had won the Champions League in 2015, has stayed true to tiki-taka. It had given the country two European Championships and a World Cup in five years but hardly anything to write home about since. In Euro 2020, held last year, they lost to Italy in the semi-finals again on penalties but their style of play drew widespread praise. Italy went on to win the title but their coach Roberto Mancini had only words of praise for the Spanish side. “Team to watch out for,” he said.

But is it time to move on from tiki-taka? The problem for Spain has been its front three — Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torresjust weren’t good enough. Behind them, Pedri, Busquetsand Gavi worked hard but with the front three misfiring, the defences were never really troubled. Throughout the games against Morocco, Japan and Germany, there was a yearning for Spain to have someone who could do something with all those passes.

“Maybe yes. We were just not that good in the last few metres,” Enrique admitted.

If Enrique stays as coach, he has promised to stick to the same passing style. His belief stems from the fact that there is a clutch of talented young players like Pedri, Gavi, AnsuFati, Nico Williams and Alejandro Balde who will gain experience when the World Cup goes to North America in 2024.

One reason for Spain’s success between 2008 and 2012 when they won two European Championships and a WorldCup was the presence of Fernando Torres and David Villa. The Spanish academies have just not been able to produce stickers of that quality. Tiki-taka’s survival will depend on Spain finding their fox-in-the-box.