Euro 2024 end sunday with two of the strongest teams in Europe going head to head in Berlin for the most coveted trophy in European football.
Will La Roja – tipped by many as the favourites stop Three Lions from taking football home once again or will the English finally end their long wait for a major trophy since 1966?
Taking a look at Spain’s trip to Berlin, the La Roja made a complete mockery of the so-called ‘Group of Death’, amassing nine points from a possible nine against 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, reigning European champions Italy and the unfancied Albanians, ending the first phase as the only nation with a 100% record both points-wise and defensive-wise.
Despite conceding first against tournament debutants Georgia – (a own goal by Robin Le Normand), they did not spare Georgia beating them 4-1 before ousting the hosts Germany in the quarter-finals.
16-year-old phenom that is Lamine Yamal lit up the Allianz Arena with the goal that made him the youngest scorer in Euros history as De la Fuente’s men send Les Bleus out of the tournament in the semifinal, picking up the ticket to their sixth major tournament final.
Champions of the continent in 1964, 2008 and 2012, Spain can not only earn another engraving on the Henri Delaunay Trophy, but also a slice of footballing history; by breaking English hearts on Sunday, they would become the first-ever European men’s team to win four major tournament finals on the spin.
Prior to pitting their wits against Ronald Koeman’s men at the Signal Iduna Park, only one of England’s five matches at Euro 2024 – their opening scrap with Serbia – saw Gareth Southgate’s charges get the job done in 90 minutes, leading to the all-too familiar wave of vicious vitriol towards the much-maligned Three Lions boss.
Drab draws with Denmark and Slovenia – where England looked jaded, disjointed and fresh out of offensive ideas – did little to galvanise the nation either, and nor did their extremely unconvincing last-16 success over Slovakia, who were only denied a famous success by the astonishing acrobatics of Jude Bellingham.
The Three Lions’ quarter-final match against Switzerland was saved by another youngster in Bukayo Saka. Substitutes Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins combined together to produce a match winner for Southgate’s men in the semifinal against Netherlands after going behind to the Dutch early in the game.
England became the first side to ever reach the Euros final after trailing in both the quarters and the semis, while Kane has now scored more major tournament knockout goals than any other European man in history.
FACTS:
- England have prevailed in each of their last six Euros matches when shipping the opening goal, winning five of them.
- This will be the first time England senior men’s team will compete in a major tournament final on foreign soil.
- Spain are also just two goals away from breaking the record for the most goals at one edition of the European Championships. 13 goals already.
- Spain have recorded 16 wins from their last 18 matches.
PREDICTIONS:
- Over 4.5 Cards
- Over 8.5 corners
- 1X