England fans are once again singing the famous Lightning Seeds song with their hearts out as the Three Lions find themselves within breathing distance of history. They are one match away from becoming European champions for the first time in history and end their 58 years of hurt of not winning international silverware. Gareth Southgate’s men, however, must overcome the most in-form team in the competition; three time European champions Spain. La Furia Roja have been a joy to watch in Germany, but can their youthful side weather the pressure of a match of this magnitude?
Spain were not a team who were firmly in title conversation ahead of the tournament. Pundits labelled the likes of England, Germany, and France as the usual suspects. Even though Spain know what it feels like to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy, their recent struggles in major competitions and the lack of proven superstars made Luis de la Fuente’s team a dark horse. They made a mockery of all the pre-tournament evaluations as the tournament progressed. Having dispatched the hosts and the star-studded French side after cruising through the ‘Group of Death’, Spain are the obvious favourites heading into the final showdown at the Olympiastadion on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate has faced criticism both at home and abroad for the brand of football, or lack thereof, demonstrated by his team in Germany. Regardless, England are now set to play back-to-back European finals for the very first time in their football history, but their sights will be set on another historic first; winning their first European crown. The 1966 World Champions barely appeared a well-oiled machine throughout their campaign, but they managed to grind out results. Southgate, therefore, will hope his team will show its resilience once again and cement his legacy as the most successful England manager since the legendary Sir Alf Ramsey.
England and Spain will go head to head in the Euro 2024 final on July 14, Sunday (July 15, Monday in India) at the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The referee will blow the whistle for kick-off at 12:30 AM IST.
Spain Team Preview
Spain shared the group with Croatia, current European champions Italy, and Albania. On paper, this was the most challenging team any team could have asked for in the competition, but Luis de la Fuente’s men made light work of it. They dismantled Croatia to send out a message and followed up with victories against Italy and Albania.
They met expectations against Georgia in the round-of-16 as they steered to a 3-1 victory against the European championship debutants. The ‘harder’ tests, however, were yet to come as Germany awaiting them in the quarters, and potential meetings with France or Portugal loomed further on the horizon.
Spain and Germany played out one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. The match seemed destined to be decided on penalties as the scores were deadlocked one-all at the Signal Iduna Park with two minutes remaining of extra time. Mikel Merino broke German hearts with only seconds remaining on the clock and grabbed a late winner for his team.
France were the next obstacle they needed to overcome to get to the final. Les Bleus attackers had been underperforming up until this match, but their defence had been rock solid. Spaniards, however, found themselves chasing the game before the tenth minute mark, as Kolo Muani became the first French forward to score a non-penalty goal in the competition.
Lamine Yamal drew the scores level with a peach of a strike in the 21st minute. Four minutes later, the French wall was compromised again as Dani Olmo scored to turn the tie on its head. The result remained unmatched till the final whistle.
Spain’s fiery quarter-final clash with Germany saw defensive stalwarts Robin Le Normand picking up a yellow card that ultimately ruled him out of contention for the semi-final. Dani Carvajal, received a red card late into the game. After serving their respective suspensions, both will be available for selection against England.
In arguably his best form in years, Carvnajal will slot straight in for Jesus Navas, the sole survivor of Spain’s Euro 2012 triumph. Le Normand’s return pushes Nacho, the former Real Madrid captain, back to the bench.
Pedri will be watching on from the sidelines once again as he continues to recover from the knee injury he sustained against Germany. Dani Olmo, who is one of the six Euro 2024 Golden Boot chasers with three goals, will assume the playmaker role behind the dynamic duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Alvaro Morata went down with a strange injury after a security guard, a little too enthusiastic in his pitch invader takedown, collided with him. Thankfully, it was proven to be a false alarm and the Atletico Madrid striker is back in training. He should be leading the line for Spain once again.
Predicted XI: Unai Simon; Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Neco Williams
England Team Preview
Despite England’s semi-final run, Gareth Southgate felt the heat ahead of the Netherlands match. After winning their opening match against Serbia, Southgate’s team could not win any of their following four matches within regulation time.
While England’s determination drew praise, there were also genuine concerns regarding England’s performances. A late Ollie Watkins winner against Netherlands, however, somewhat soothed the nerves.
England will now try to right the wrongs of their 2021 campaign, when they made it to the final on home soil, only to lose agonisingly on penalties. Three years later, English players get a shot at redemption.
The Three Lions have brought a world class squad to the competition with several high-profile players. While moments of brilliance have kept England alive till now, the lack of cohesion in this talented England has been frustrating to watch.
That said, we must keep in mind that wins are the ultimate currency in football, and England have been delivering. Switching to a three-man defence has paid dividends, with increased attacking threat from the flanks. However, the midfield and frontline could still benefit from some fine-tuning.
England head to Berlin with a clean bill of health, although a question mark hangs over Luke Shaw’s starting role.
Shaw impressed after coming on in the semi-final win against Switzerland, replacing Kieran Trippier at half-time. He emerged unscathed, raising the possibility of a starting berth in Berlin. However, Southgate will need to weigh Shaw’s injury history with his talent. Notably, Shaw famously scored within two minutes of the Euro 2020 final.
Expect Southgate to stick with the familiar 3-4-2-1 formation. Watkins’ heroics won’t be enough to dethrone captain Kane, who leads the line with three goals. Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden provide support in their inverted roles. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, now the youngest player to start a men’s Euros semi-final for England, has seamlessly slotted into midfield and fully justifies his selection for the final.
Predicted XI: Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Kieran Trippier, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham
Spain vs England Betting Odds
Spain 3.10 – 2.80 Draw – 3.40 England (Bet 365)
Spain vs England Head-to-Head Stats
England boast a slight historical edge over Spain, winning 14 of their 27 meetings, drawing three and losing 10. However, recent encounters between the two sides have been scarce, with Sunday’s clash being their first in over six years. Interestingly, since 2000, Spain has dominated competitive matches, losing just three of nine, though most were friendlies.
Spain vs England Betting Tips and Predictions
England haven’t been firing on all cylinders, but they do hold an experience advantage. Southgate’s squad boasts a World Cup semi-final and Euro final under their belts, giving them a taste of the big stage. Spain’s young guns, on the other hand, are largely untested in such high-pressure situations.
That said, anything other than perfection might see England falling short of glory once again. Spain have proven themselves against the big guns on several occasions in this tournament, therefore, the odds favour them to put the cherry on the top of their brilliant campaign.
England might sneak one past De la Fuente’s shaky defence, but Spain’s attack have been unstoppable throughout the Euros. They could cause problems even for England’s resolute backline. We, therefore, predict a 2-1 victory for Spain in this match.