The Euro 2024 final is set, with three-time European champions Spain attempting to prevent England's men from winning the tournament for the first time and, in the process, ending their 58-year wait for international glory since lifting the World Cup in 1966.
It promises to be a clash of styles in Berlin -- Spain's peerless possession game against England's blend of pace and power, with both sides relying on the new generation of football superstars in Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham.
Spain have been the most eye-catching and effective team of Euro 2024 -- the only side to win all of their games -- while England struggled to play to their potential until the 2-1 semifinal win against Netherlands. But both teams have the players and the experience to win, and coaches Luis de la Fuente and Gareth Southgate have strengths and weaknesses to address.
Spain are aiming to become the most successful nation ever at the European Championship by winning a fourth title on Sunday. Their three previous successes (1964, 2008, 2012) have them tied with Germany's three continental titles.
England's men have never won the Euros. The Three Lions reached the final for the first time at Euro 2020, but lost in a penalty shootout against Italy at Wembley Stadium in London.
Will it be Spain captain Álvaro Morata or England skipper Harry Kane who gets to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy at the Olympiastadion on Sunday? Here's how the two teams stack up ahead of the final.
Goalkeeper
Spain's Unai Simón and England's Jordan Pickford arrive at the final having been two of the most consistent and reliable goalkeepers at Euro 2024 and they are both remarkably similar in their records at the tournament.
Simón, 27, is able to play as an auxiliary defender and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. The Athletic Club No. 1 has conceded just three goals in five games, making 12 saves in those fixtures.
Pickford, 30, has been England's first choice since the 2018 World Cup and has been a hero in penalty shootouts against Colombia in that tournament and Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals. The Everton player's distribution with his feet is more long-distance than Simón's, but his ability to pick out forwards and wingers is a key part of England's approach. In six games, Pickford has conceded four goals and made 14 saves and, just like Simón, is a reliable figure when it comes to collecting crosses.
Weaknesses? Both can take risks with the ball at their feet in the penalty area, so quick-thinking forwards could catch them out.
Defence
Spain have operated with a back four throughout Euro 2024 and, with right-back Dani Carvajal and centre-back Robin Le Normand available again after missing the semifinal win over France through suspension, coach De la Fuente is likely to restore them alongside Aymeric Laporte and left-back Marc Cucurella.
It is a classic back four in terms of the qualities of the individual players. Real Madrid's Carvajal is arguably the world's best right-back, equally effective going forward as he is defensively, while Chelsea's Cucurella offers balance on the left. Cucurella's performances in Germany have been a stark contrast to the struggles he has endured at Stamford Bridge during the past two seasons. In the centre, Real Sociedad's Le Normand and Al Nassr defender Laporte, the former Manchester City player, offer physical presence, outstanding ability on the ball and a right-footed/left-footed combination. Both are also strong in the air.
Spain lack pace at the heart of their defence, but with striker Kane likely to play through the centre for England, his similar lack of pace means Laporte and Le Normand will not have their weakness tested.
England have operated with both four-man and three-man defences in Germany, but Southgate is expected to revert to a back four on Sunday. With Kieran Trippier struggling to overcome a groin strain, left-back Luke Shaw is likely to start for the first time, with Marc Guéhi, John Stones and right-back Kyle Walker completing the defensive lineup.
Stones has been one of the outstanding defenders at the tournament, while Guéhi has been a revelation, missing only the Switzerland quarterfinal through suspension. Stones and Guéhi form a perfect blend of pace, strength and reading of the game. At right-back, Walker has once again shown himself to be a world-class full-back. But how Stones and Guéhi combine with defensive midfielder Declan Rice to nullify the threat of Spain's Dani Olmo could be decisive on Sunday.
Midfield
The injury to Pedri, suffered in the quarterfinal win against Germany, has forced De la Fuente to switch from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-2-3-1, with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz now playing behind a more advanced three, with Olmo operating in between the midfield and attacking lines. That switch has given Spain greater attacking threat, but it hasn't weakened their midfield, despite the loss of a player as gifted as Pedri.
The reason for that is Rodri's absolute command of the defensive sector of midfield and his ability to dictate and destroy in equal measure. Ruiz perfectly complements the Manchester City player's attributes with his more adventurous qualities.
For England, Rice and Kobbie Mainoo perform the same two-man midfield axis as Rodri and Ruiz, but with different elements than the Spanish pair. Arsenal's record-signing Rice brings the energy and tenacity, while Manchester United youngster Mainoo offers the flair and calmness. Mainoo has been a breakout star of the tournament, but the defensive side of the 19-year-old's game can let him down at times. Conversely, Rice can be limited with his passing ability in open play, although his set-piece deliveries have been highly effective at club level.
Further forward, Bellingham links the midfield and attack for England. Despite scoring twice at Euro 2024, the Real Madrid player has had an indifferent tournament and looks tired, but he remains a world-class talent, and Spain will regard him as the player to stop with many of the squad having seen him up close in LaLiga this season.
In terms of personnel and experience, Spain clearly win the midfield battle on paper and England have to find a way to overcome that.
 |
| Nico Williams and Bukayo Saka will be crucial attacking influences on Sunday. TOBIAS SCHWARZADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images |
Attack
For both sides, the strength is out wide rather than through the centre where both Morata and Kane have struggled to make an impact. The two centre-forwards have had frustrating tournaments, although Kane has scored three goals -- Morata has one in six games -- and could yet win the Golden Boot. But it is the ability of Yamal and Nico Williams for Spain and the proven quality of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka that could decide this game.
Yamal and Williams have been outstanding for Spain. Both have displayed pace, awareness and goal threat and Yamal, who celebrates his 17th birthday on Saturday, has announced himself to the world as a generational talent.
Saka and Foden have yet to hit the same heights for England, although Saka did score a crucial equaliser in the quarterfinal against Switzerland. But while Saka and Foden are still searching for their best, Spain will have no doubt that either of them could win the game for England with a flash of individual brilliance. Both can score with shots from distance and they are equally comfortable on either flank.
While Yamal and Williams are the form players, don't underestimate the threat posed by Foden and Saka.
Impact substitutes
Spain and England have incredible depth and both De la Fuente and Southgate have won games at Euro 2024 with timely substitutions. Less than 10 minutes after entering the action in the semifinal against Netherlands, substitutes Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins combined for Watkins to score a 90th-minute winner for England. But in the quarterfinals, Mikel Merino performed a similar job for Spain by scoring a headed winner in the 119th minute against Germany after being thrown on late in the game. Mikel Oyarzabal, Joselu, Ferran Torres and Ayoze Pérez also have the ability to be matchwinners for La Roja, while at the back, De la Fuente can also rely on serial Champions League winner Nacho Fernández in case of emergency.
England's options are just as impressive. Palmer has made a telling contribution each time he has been used as a sub, while forwards Ivan Toney and Eberechi Eze have also impressed. Trent Alexander-Arnold's set-piece ability and delivery from wide is a potential game changer from the bench, while Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen both possess the pace and attacking instinct to make an impact late in the game.
 |
| Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente will most to mastermind success on Sunday. MIGUEL MEDINAODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images |
The managers
Sunday's final is all about the two teams, but it is also a pointer to the importance of youth team coaches with both De la Fuente and Southgate elevated to the top job after lengthy periods working with the youth sides.
Southgate, whose only club job ended with relegation from the Premier League with Middlesbrough in 2009, spent three years in charge of England under-21s. He only took the senior job in 2016 after Sam Allardyce was fired for off-field controversies after just one game in charge. Prior to his U21 role, Southgate, 53, headed the English FA's elite development unit, with responsibility for overseeing the development of young players, for 18 months.
De la Fuente has had a similar career path, although his only senior job prior to taking charge of Spain in 2022 was a four-month stint with Alaves in 2011. The 63-year-old's career has been rooted in development squads and youth teams, with time in charge of Spain's under-19, U21, under-23 and Olympic sides (winning a silver medal in Tokyo.) He succeeded Luis Enrique with the senior side following the 2022 World Cup, and the following year led them to a trophy by winning the UEFA Nations League.
The referee
French official François Letexier has been handed the responsibility of taking charge of the final by UEFA. The 35-year-old has refereed three games already at the tournament, including Spain's round-of-16 win against Georgia, but this will be the biggest game of his career by far.
His highlight until now was taking charge of the UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla last season, before being appointed as fourth official for the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last month.
But in a tournament in which VAR has played an outsized role in games, perhaps the key appointments are those who will sit in front of the TV screens at the VAR hub. France's Jérôme Brisard will take the lead VAR role, assisted by fellow Frenchman Willy Delajod and Italy's Massimiliano Irrati.
A familiar fixture
This is the first time that Spain and England have met in a senior men's final, but the two nations have become regular rivals across the game and Sunday's showpiece points to the success of the two national associations in developing their teams.
England beat Spain in the 2023 Euro U21 final in Batumi, Georgia, with Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon both starting that game, while Spain beat England in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, last August.
If England win on Sunday, it will give the country the distinction of being European champions in both the men's and women's game, with the Lionesses winning the Euros in 2022, having defeated Spain at the quarterfinal stage.
The trophy
The winning captain will lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy, named after the former president of the French Football Federation who introduced the European Championship as UEFA's first general secretary.
The trophy, which weighs 8 kg (17½ lbs) and is 60 cm (23½ in) tall, is made of sterling silver and was produced by Asprey London, a renowned jeweller and goldsmith. It is the second version of the trophy, with UEFA replacing the original, smaller cup in 2008.
- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC
No comments:
Post a Comment