Spain vs. England story of the tape: Who will win Euro 2024?

The Euro 2024 remaining is ready, with three-time European champions Spain making an attempt to stop England‘s males from successful the match for the primary time and, within the course of, ending their 58-year look forward to worldwide glory since lifting the World Cup in 1966.

It guarantees to be a conflict of kinds in Berlin — Spain’s peerless possession recreation towards England’s mix of tempo and energy, with either side counting on the brand new era of soccer superstars in Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham.

Spain have been essentially the most eye-catching and efficient group of Euro 2024 — the one aspect to win all of their video games — whereas England struggled to play to their potential till the 2-1 semifinal win towards Netherlands. However each groups have the gamers and the expertise to win, and coaches Luis de la Fuente and Gareth Southgate have strengths and weaknesses to handle.

Spain are aiming to turn out to be essentially the most profitable nation ever on the European Championship by successful a fourth title on Sunday. Their three earlier successes (1964, 2008, 2012) have them tied with Germany’s three continental titles.

England’s males have by no means received the Euros. The Three Lions reached the ultimate for the primary time at Euro 2020, however misplaced in a penalty shootout towards Italy at Wembley Stadium in London.

Will or not it’s Spain captain Álvaro Morata or England skipper Harry Kane who will get to elevate the Henri Delaunay Trophy on the Olympiastadion on Sunday? This is how the 2 groups stack up forward of the ultimate.

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Goalkeeper

Spain’s Unai Simón and England’s Jordan Pickford arrive on the remaining having been two of essentially the most constant and dependable goalkeepers at Euro 2024 and they’re each remarkably related of their data on the match.

Simón, 27, is ready to play as an auxiliary defender and is snug with the ball at his toes. The Athletic Membership No. 1 has conceded simply three objectives in 5 video games, making 12 saves in these fixtures.

Pickford, 30, has been England’s first alternative for the reason that 2018 World Cup and has been a hero in penalty shootouts towards Colombia in that match and Switzerland within the Euro 2024 quarterfinals. The Everton participant’s distribution along with his toes is extra long-distance than Simón’s, however his potential to select forwards and wingers is a key a part of England’s strategy. In six video games, Pickford has conceded 4 objectives and made 14 saves and, identical to Simón, is a dependable determine with regards to amassing crosses.

Weaknesses? Each can take dangers with the ball at their toes within the penalty space, so quick-thinking forwards might catch them out.

Defence

Spain have operated with a again 4 all through Euro 2024 and, with right-back Dani Carvajal and centre-back Robin Le Normand obtainable once more after lacking the semifinal win over France by way of suspension, coach De la Fuente is prone to restore them alongside Aymeric Laporte and left-back Marc Cucurella.

It’s a basic again 4 by way of the qualities of the person gamers. Actual Madrid‘s Carvajal is arguably the world’s finest right-back, equally efficient going ahead as he’s defensively, whereas Chelsea‘s Cucurella gives stability on the left. Cucurella’s performances in Germany have been a stark distinction to the struggles he has endured at Stamford Bridge through the previous two seasons. Within the centre, Actual Sociedad‘s Le Normand and Al Nassr defender Laporte, the previous Manchester Metropolis participant, supply bodily presence, excellent potential on the ball and a right-footed/left-footed mixture. Each are additionally robust within the air.

Spain lack tempo on the coronary heart of their defence, however with striker Kane prone to play by way of the centre for England, his related lack of tempo means Laporte and Le Normand won’t have their weak spot examined.

England have operated with each four-man and three-man defences in Germany, however Southgate is anticipated to revert to a again 4 on Sunday. With Kieran Trippier struggling to beat a groin pressure, left-back Luke Shaw is prone to begin for the primary time, with Marc Guéhi, John Stones and right-back Kyle Walker finishing the defensive lineup.

Stones has been one of many excellent defenders on the match, whereas Guéhi has been a revelation, lacking solely the Switzerland quarterfinal by way of suspension. Stones and Guéhi type an ideal mix of tempo, energy and studying of the sport. At right-back, Walker has as soon as once more proven himself to be a world-class full-back. However how Stones and Guéhi mix with defensive midfielder Declan Rice to nullify the specter of Spain’s Dani Olmo may very well be decisive on Sunday.

Midfield

The damage to Pedri, suffered within the quarterfinal win towards Germany, has compelled De la Fuente to modify from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1, with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz now enjoying behind a extra superior three, with Olmo working in between the midfield and attacking traces. That change has given Spain larger attacking risk, but it surely hasn’t weakened their midfield, regardless of the lack of a participant as gifted as Pedri.

The explanation for that’s Rodri’s absolute command of the defensive sector of midfield and his potential to dictate and destroy in equal measure. Ruiz completely enhances the Manchester Metropolis participant’s attributes along with his extra adventurous qualities.

For England, Rice and Kobbie Mainoo carry out the identical two-man midfield axis as Rodri and Ruiz, however with completely different parts than the Spanish pair. Arsenal‘s record-signing Rice brings the power and tenacity, whereas Manchester United teenager Mainoo gives the aptitude and tranquility. Mainoo has been a breakout star of the match, however the defensive aspect of the 19-year-old’s recreation can let him down at occasions. Conversely, Rice will be restricted along with his passing potential in open play, though his set-piece deliveries have been extremely efficient at membership degree.

Additional ahead, Bellingham hyperlinks the midfield and assault for England. Regardless of scoring twice at Euro 2024, the Actual Madrid participant has had an detached match and appears drained, however he stays a world-class expertise, and Spain will regard him because the participant to cease with most of the squad having seen him up shut in LaLiga this season.

When it comes to personnel and expertise, Spain clearly win the midfield battle on paper and England must discover a strategy to overcome that.

Assault

For either side, the energy is out broad fairly than by way of the centre the place each Morata and Kane have struggled to make an impression. The 2 centre-forwards have had irritating tournaments, though Kane has scored three objectives — Morata has one in six video games — and will but win the Golden Boot. However it’s the potential of Yamal and Nico Williams for Spain and the confirmed high quality of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka that might determine this recreation.

Yamal and Williams have been excellent for Spain. Each have displayed tempo, consciousness and aim risk and Yamal, who celebrates his seventeenth birthday on Saturday, has introduced himself to the world as a generational expertise.

Saka and Foden have but to hit the identical heights for England, though Saka did rating an important equaliser within the quarterfinal towards Switzerland. However whereas Saka and Foden are nonetheless trying to find their finest, Spain can have little question that both of them might win the sport for England with a flash of particular person brilliance. Each can rating with pictures from distance and they’re equally snug on both flank.

Whereas Yamal and Williams are the shape gamers, do not underestimate the risk posed by Foden and Saka.

Influence substitutes

Spain and England have unbelievable depth and each De la Fuente and Southgate have received video games at Euro 2024 with well timed substitutions. Lower than 10 minutes after getting into the motion within the semifinal towards Netherlands, substitutes Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins mixed for Watkins to attain a Ninetieth-minute winner for England. However within the quarterfinals, Mikel Merino carried out an analogous job for Spain by scoring a headed winner within the 119th minute towards Germany after being thrown on late within the recreation. Mikel Oyarzabal, Joselu, Ferran Torres and Ayoze Pérez even have the power to be matchwinners for La Roja, whereas on the again, De la Fuente may depend on serial Champions League winner Nacho Fernández in case of emergency.

England’s choices are simply as spectacular. Palmer has made a telling contribution every time he has been used as a sub, whereas forwards Ivan Toney and Eberechi Eze have additionally impressed. Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s set-piece potential and supply from broad is a possible recreation changer from the bench, whereas Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen each possess the tempo and attacking intuition to make an impression late within the recreation.

The managers

Sunday’s remaining is all concerning the two groups, however it’s also a pointer to the significance of youth group coaches with each De la Fuente and Southgate elevated to the highest job after prolonged intervals working with the youth sides.

Southgate, whose solely membership job ended with relegation from the Premier League with Middlesbrough in 2009, spent three years answerable for England under-21s. He solely took the senior job in 2016 after Sam Allardyce was fired for off-field controversies after only one recreation in cost. Previous to his U21 position, Southgate, 53, headed the English FA’s elite growth unit, with accountability for overseeing the event of younger gamers, for 18 months.

De la Fuente has had an analogous profession path, though his solely senior job previous to taking cost of Spain in 2022 was a four-month stint with Alaves in 2011. The 63-year-old’s profession has been rooted in growth squads and youth groups, with time answerable for Spain’s under-19, U21, under-23 and Olympic sides (successful a silver medal in Tokyo.) He succeeded Luis Enrique with the senior aspect following the 2022 World Cup, and the next yr led them to a trophy by successful the UEFA Nations League.

The referee

French official François Letexier has been handed the accountability of taking cost of the ultimate by UEFA. The 35-year-old has refereed three video games already on the match, together with Spain’s round-of-16 win towards Georgia, however this would be the greatest recreation of his profession by far.

His spotlight till now was taking cost of the UEFA Tremendous Cup between Manchester Metropolis and Sevilla final season, earlier than being appointed as fourth official for the Champions League remaining between Actual Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley final month.

However in a match through which VAR has performed an outsized position in video games, maybe the important thing appointments are those that will sit in entrance of the TV screens on the VAR hub. France’s Jérôme Brisard will take the lead VAR position, assisted by fellow Frenchman Willy Delajod and Italy’s Massimiliano Irrati.

A well-recognized fixture

That is the primary time that Spain and England have met in a senior males’s remaining, however the two nations have turn out to be common rivals throughout the sport and Sunday’s showpiece factors to the success of the 2 nationwide associations in creating their groups.

England beat Spain within the 2023 Euro U21 remaining in Batumi, Georgia, with Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon each beginning that recreation, whereas Spain beat England within the Ladies’s World Cup remaining in Sydney, Australia, final August.

If England win on Sunday, it should give the nation the excellence of being European champions in each the boys’s and girls’s recreation, with the Lionesses successful the Euros in 2022, having defeated Spain on the quarterfinal stage.

The trophy

The successful captain will elevate the Henri Delaunay Trophy, named after the previous president of the French Soccer Federation who launched the European Championship as UEFA’s first basic secretary.

The trophy, which weighs 8 kg (17½ lbs) and is 60 cm (23½ in) tall, is product of sterling silver and was produced by Asprey London, a famend jeweller and goldsmith. It’s the second model of the trophy, with UEFA changing the unique, smaller cup in 2008.