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July 11 2024, 17:04 · Alex Lawes

Spain vs England Preview & Prediction | UEFA EURO 2024 | Final

Spain vs England Preview & Prediction | UEFA EURO 2024 | Final
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On Sunday, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Spain will attempt to win their fourth UEFA European Championship title as they take on UEFA EURO 2020 runners’ up England, desperate to win their first and their first bit of major silverware since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 14th July, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – BBC or ITV / US – FOX

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – BBC iPlayer or ITVX / US – ViX

SPAIN PREVIEW: THE IMPERIOUS LA ROJA

Luis de la Fuente’s reign in charge of Spain began poorly and there were questions about how long he would last after their 2-0 defeat to Scotland at Hampden Park in March 2023. However, the 2010 world champions have been magnificent throughout this tournament and have, in most people’s estimations, been the best side at the tournament by some distance.

They had to come from behind in their semi-final on Tuesday after France took an early lead but 16-year-old Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to ever score at a UEFA European Championships when he levelled things soon after before some excellent skill and balance from Dani Olmo put the Spaniards on top – and that is there they stayed against a toothless French side.

ENGLAND PREVIEW: THE THREE LIONS’ DESTINY

Pre-tournament favourites England have got to their second successive UEFA European Championship final and they have done so through some really tricky periods. The English have come from behind to win all three of their knockout games in this competition and now know they are 90, or 120, or potentially just a little bit longer, away from immortality.

On Wednesday, they fell behind early on to a sublime Xavi Simons strike from distance but England responded extremely well with a controversial penalty scored by Harry Kane levelling things shortly afterwards before Ollie Watkins scored a magnificent winning goal as the clocked ticked into the 90th minute of the match.

SPAIN TEAM NEWS: DEFENSIVE RETURNEES FOR THE SPANISH

Both Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal have been key components of the Spain defence throughout this tournament but the pair missed the 2-1 defeat of France in midweek through suspension. The expectation is that both return in place of 38-year-old Jesus Navas and Al Gharafa-bound Nacho Fernandez.

Luis de la Fuente will remain without Pedri in midfield but his replacement, Dani Olmo, is in with a shout of being the Player of the Tournament, quite remarkably, despite having started just one of their six games so far. Spain are and will be proactive so tactical decisions based on how England will line-up are unlikely. There was a slight concern over Alvaro Morata after a security guard collided with him in the aftermath of Tuesday evening but the captain is expected to be fine.

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Dani Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Dani Olmo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams

UNAVAILABLE: Pedri (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

ENGLAND TEAM NEWS: SHAW-ING UP THE LEFT-HAND SIDE

At half-time of England’s 2-1 defeat of the Netherlands in midweek, Luke Shaw replaced the cautioned Kieran Trippier but the Manchester United left-back was not just brought on to ensure nobody got set off but also offers England real balance, both in defence and attack. It will also be his preference to show Lamine Yamal down the line, rather than cutting inside.

In forward areas, there are expected to be no changes. Harry Kane is joint with several players on three goals for the UEFA EURO 2024 Golden Boot, despite form and fitness concerns, and he should remain in the side ahead of Wednesday’s match-winner, Ollie Watkins. The final could be won and lost by how well Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo and Bukayo Saka can link up to hurt the left-hand side of the Spanish defence.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Shaw; Foden, Bellingham; Kane

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE:

KEY STATS

  • Spain and England are facing each other for the first time since 2018 when they were paired together in the same UEFA Nations League group. Spain won 2-1 at Wembley in the first of those encounters, England gained revenge a month later with a 3-2 victory in Seville.
  • England lead the head-to-head record between these two teams with 13 wins to Spain’s 10. Only four of their previous 27 meetings finished level.
  • This is their first major final tournament encounter since the quarter-finals of EURO 1996 when England won 4-2 on penalties following a 0-0 draw. Their only other EURO final tournament meeting was in the 1980 group stage when England recorded a 2-1 victory.
  • Spain are competing in their fifth EURO final – only Germany (six) have featured in more. Spain’s only defeat in the final was in 1984 against France.
  • EURO champions in 1964, 2008 and 2012, Spain are aiming to be the first team to win four titles – they currently share the record with Germany.
  • Spain have won six successive EURO matches for the first time (excluding penalty shoot-outs). No team has won six successive matches in EURO final tournament history previously without requiring a penalty shoot-out.
  • Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain have lost only two of their last 28 EURO matches (W19 D7).
  • Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain have not lost any of their last 12 EURO matches (W8 D4).
  • Spain have only lost two of their last 13 EURO knockout round ties.
  • Spain have lost only three of their previous 19 EURO knockout matches in normal time (W10 D6).
  • Spain have won 13 and drawn one of their last 14 competitive matches.
  • Spain have been losing at half-time in only one of their last 25 EURO matches.
  • Spain have scored in each of their last 11 EURO matches. This is their longest sequence of successive EURO matches with a goal scored.
  • Spain have scored 13 goals at EURO 2024, equalling their record for a single tournament that they set at EURO 2020. Only France (14) in 1984 have scored more at a single EURO final tournament: - 14 France (1984); 13 France (2000), Netherlands (2000), France (2016), Italy (2020), Spain (2020), Spain (2024)
  • Spain have had nine different goalscorers at EURO 2024 (excluding own goals). This is the most any team have had in a EURO final tournament.
  • Álvaro Morata is set to make a record 17th EURO appearance for Spain. Moving clear of the previous record-holders; Jordi Alba (16), Cesc Fàbregas (16) and Andrés Iniesta (16).
  • Luis de la Fuente is aiming to complete a EURO treble having won the U19 (2015) and U21 (2019) titles with Spain. No other senior EURO winning coach has won titles in different age groups.
  • Dani Carvajal, Joselu and Nacho of Spain and England’s Jude Bellingham are aiming to join a list of players who have won the UEFA Champions League and EURO final in the same year; 1964: Luis Suárez (Inter & Spain); 1988: Hans van Breukelen, Ronald Koeman, Berry van Aerle, Gerald Vanenburg (PSV Eindhoven & Netherlands); 2012: Fernando Torres, Juan Mata (Chelsea & Spain); 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe (Real Madrid & Portugal); 2020: Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy).
  • Lamine Yamal (17y 1d) is set to become the youngest to player to make an appearance in a EURO final, beating the record of Renato Sanches (18y 327d for Portugal v France, 2016).
  • Dani Olmo could become the first player in the current format of the EURO to score in the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the same edition.
  • England are aiming to win their first EURO title. They reached the final for the first time at EURO 2020 where they lost out on penalties against Italy.
  • This is the first time England have reached the final of a major tournament outside of England.
  • England are the first team in to reach the final of a EURO final tournament having been behind in the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.
  • Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England have lost only one of their last 24 EURO matches (W13 D10 L1).
  • Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England are unbeaten in their last 13 EURO matches (W8 D5). This is their longest run without losing a EURO match.
  • England have lost only one of their last 20 competitive matches (W12 D7).
  • England have conceded more than one goal in only one of their last 19 EURO matches.
  • England have only lost two of their previous 14 EURO final tournament knockout matches in normal time (L 1-0 vs Yugoslavia 1968 semi-final and L 2-1 vs Iceland 2016 round of 16).
  • Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Gareth Southgate has not lost any of his 13 EURO matches as coach (W8 D5). This is the longest run of successive matches without losing for a coach in EURO history.
  • Gareth Southgate is only the third coach to reach two EURO finals after Germany’s Helmut Schön (1972 and 1976) and Berti Vogts (1992 and 1996).
  • Harry Kane’s total of six goals scored in EURO knockout matches is the highest of any player in the history of the tournament.
  • Harry Kane is set to be only the third player to captain a team in the final of two EURO final tournaments after Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1972 and 1976) and Iker Casillas (Spain, 2008 and 2012).
  • Bukayo Saka (22y 313d) is set to be the youngest player to make an appearance in two EURO finals. Beating the record previously held by Uli Hoeness (24y 167d for West Germany against Czechoslovakia in 1976).

SPAIN VS ENGLAND PREDICTION

Spain have a defence that not many, on paper, would have predicted could go this deep into the tournament. They have an attack comprised of two excellent wingers that have a combined age of just 37, whilst their key anchoring midfielder, Rodri, who is arguably the best player in the world at this moment, is evidently fatigued and some of the effects of that have begun to show. England have grown into the competition, very slowly. Performances have been sub-par pretty much throughout but their first-half showing against the Netherlands would rival any of the absolute best performances of Spain in this tournament.

If England, with a right-side dominant attacking plan, can isolate the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella, whilst wrestling with the incision of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, they can make history. Spain have been better than England, by quite a long way, but, frankly, on paper, albeit of course where the game is not played, England have the better personnel and a group of players improving. Gareth Southgate may well have got his side to peak just at the right time.

SPAIN VS ENGLAND TIP: ENGLAND TO WIN