RevSportz Comment
It’s not without reason that we recall Spain, especially the 2008-2012 vintage, as one of the great teams in football history. A hat-trick of major trophies – no other team has ever retained their Euro crown – ensures their place in the pantheon. But amid the nostalgia, let’s not forget that not one of those three title-winning teams was perfect. Italy held them to a goalless draw at Euro 2008, and Portugal did the same in the semi-final four years later. Their 2010 World Cup campaign began with a shock defeat to Switzerland.
The current crop, superbly coached by the unheralded Luis de la Fuente, know that they stand on the threshold of immortality. Win against England in Berlin on Sunday, and they can call themselves the most accomplished Euro-winning team in history. France 1984 still set the benchmark, having scored 14 goals in five games on their way to the title. But if Spain overcome England, that would mean they defeated four teams in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings, to add to the scalp of Germany, the hosts who came into the tournament ranked a lowly 16th.
The semi-final against France, who had the strongest squad in the competition, was the biggest test, especially once they fell behind early on. But the response was emphatic, with the goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo worthy of winning any contest. France came on strong in the second half, but this Spanish side, unlike some of their predecessors, has no issues about sitting back and soaking up some pressure when they need to.
If Spain have been near-perfect en route to the summit clash, England are the luckiest finalists since Portugal in 2016. They finally decided to start playing in the quarterfinal against Switzerland, though there was a massive element of good fortune in their passage through that game as well. Gareth Southgate’s team were excellent in the semi-final against Netherlands, but the Dutch will always wonder about the VAR call that rubber-stamped a penalty that never was.
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What makes England such dangerous opponents in the final, however, is the high ceiling that this group of players have. Jude Bellingham scored an eye-catching equaliser against Slovakia, but has otherwise flitted in and out of games. Phil Foden was excellent against the Netherlands after being largely anonymous in earlier games. Bukayo Saka came alive against the Swiss, while Harry Kane was nerveless off the spot against the Dutch. But as a group, they have seldom been in harmony.
The key contests will be in the middle of the park, with Rodri and Fabian Ruiz up against Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo. Rodri is now the gold standard for defensive midfielders, while Mainoo will remind older Manchester United fans of Bryan Robson in the way he does the most difficult tasks with athleticism and elegance. Rice will need to help out a back three sure to be tested by Yamal and Nico Williams, while Ruiz makes the late runs that have already fetched him two goals at Euro 2024.
Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, has been the tournament’s breakout star, and it remains to be seen whether Southgate will stick with Kieran Trippier or bring in Luke Shaw to try and shut him down. On the other flank, Kyle Walker will need all his sprinting skill to rein in the rampaging Williams.
Through the knockout stages, England and Southgate have repeatedly referenced destiny, and putting an end to the narrative of near-misses on the big stage. The manager deserves immense credit for the upturn he has engineered since the dark days under Roy Hodgson. But this isn’t a great team, certainly not yet. What they do have is resilience and an appetite for a scrap. Whether that will be enough against the best team in the tournament remains to be seen.
Prediction: Spain 2 England 0
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