Spectacular Spain seal 4th EUROS title over exposed England in enthralling finale
Monday 15 July 2024
UEFA EUROS 2024 Final
Spain Vs England
Olympiastadion, Olympischer Platz 3, 14053 Berlin, Germany
Spectacular Spain seal 4th EUROS title over exposed England in enthralling finale
MATCH PREVIEW:
And so it ends here. The UEFA EUROS 2024 final, two heavyweight nations, who faced various outcomes throughout the tournament, now compete for one thing. The prized EUROS trophy. Spain have been superb throughout this tournament, with their attack contributing massively to huge victories. With their superstar team consisting of youngsters like Nico Williams & Lamine Yamal (recently turned 17) & experience in Daniel Carvajal, Alvaro Morata and Aymeric Laporte. The emergence of Dani Olmo has boosted Spain's attacking ideas, since he became a starter in place of the injured Pedri. On the other hand, England have overcome a very difficult run to the final. After they squeezed past the Netherlands, thanks to an Ollie Watkins winner, England have the chance to end their 58-year international trophy drought, by winning this final. Although it will not be easy, as some of the big names, have massively underperformed at this tournament. Which one of these nations will lift the EUROS trophy? Will it be, Luis De La Fuente's La Roja, or Gareth Southgate's Three Lions? An exciting final awaits!
TEAM NEWS & FORM GUIDE:
Spain: Form Guide = WWWWW. W (1-0) Italy, W (1-0) Albania, W (4-1) Georgia, W (2-1 AET) Germany, W (2-1) France.
Two changes for Spain from their win over France in Munich, with Dani Carvajal & Robin Le Normand returning into defence in place of Jesus Navas & Nacho Fernandez. Formation = 4-2-3-1
Starting XI: Unai Simon, Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Nico Williams, Morata (C).
Substitutes: David Raya, Nacho Fernandez, Merino, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal
England: Form Guide = DDWDW. D (1-1) Denmark, D (0-0) Slovenia, W (2-1 AET) Slovakia, D (1-1(5-3 on Penalties) Switzerland, W (2-1) Netherlands.
One change for England, as Luke Shaw starts for the first time in 5 months, replacing Kieran Trippier. Formation = 3-4-2-1/4-2-3-1.
Starting XI: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Shaw, Mainoo, Rice, Saka, Foden, Bellingham, Kane (C).
Substitutes: Ramsdale, Toney, Watkins, Palmer.
ONES TO WATCH:
Lamine Yamal: How are other teams not stopping this incredible 17-year-old? A scorer in the win over France, and now, he has a chance to win something special for his nation. He has had an impressive tournament, bagging assists and a goal throughout this EUROS. Is he to make the difference tonight?
Nico Williams: Another standout performer for the La Roja, the 22-year-old has lit up the tournament with his incredible work rate. His dribbling has given defenders nightmares to try and beat him. Will the Basque boy shine tonight with his incredible wing play?
Harry Kane: England's top-goal scorer of this EUROS, and yet, he hasn't found his groove completely. Having scored in the semi-final and the round of 16 wins, can he break his curse today in Berlin?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
AWAY WE GO IN BERLIN!!! England kick-off the first half. This contest is looking quite fiery here, with Luke Shaw looking to keep Lamine Yamal quiet down that right-hand side for Spain, and 34-year-old Kyle Waker will look to match his speed to 22-year-old Nico Williams, on the left-hand side for Spain. But as we all know, Kyle Walker is one of the fastest right-backs in the world, alongside Jeremie Frimpong. There wasn't much to smile about in the first few minutes, as both teams cancelled each other out. For example, John Stones denied Nico Williams a chance to score with a terrific sliding challenge to send the ball out for a Spain corner. Then Le Normand misses a chance to score, despite Rodri helping out by keeping the ball in play from the Athletic Bilbao winger's corner. And we still have to wait for the breakthrough, as both sides continued their merry way of keeping possession. In-between that, Dani Olmo and Harry Kane both received bookings for their team, yet no goals to be seen. Although, England had one final chance before the break, as Phil Foden's effort was saved by Unai Simon, after Le Normand failed to clear the ball away. HALF-TIME IN BERLIN. Nothing to separate the two sides at the half-time interval, with chances at both ends, particularly England, yet they could not convert the chances.
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
Spain kick-off the second half, in a bid to try and take the lead. Some bad news as well for the camp, as De La Fuente is forced into a half-time substitution, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi replaces Manchester City's Rodri, due to a knock suffered by the 28-year-old. And that paid off, 2 minutes in. Look at the amount of space Spain have got, as it's Lamine Yamal who drives forward with the ball, options around him, AND NICO WILLIAMS SCORESSSS FOR SPAINNN!!! IT'S THE 22-YEAR-OLD BASQUE BOY, WHO PUTS SPAIN IN FRONT, WITH THEIR FIRST EFFORT ON TARGET THIS GAME!! YAMAL CATCHES LUKE SHAW out of position, and Williams had one thing to do. Slot the ball into the back of the net, past the helpless Jordan Pickford, who is asking questions about his defence.
Spain's dangerous duo celebrate after scoring the opener.
We have seen England in this position a lot of times at this Euros, where they have won games or taking the game to extra-time. Do they have what it takes for them to level the game? We are about to find out, as they just survived another scare from Spain, with Nico Williams dragging his shot wide of the post. What a lucky escape for England!! Yet the Three Lions are struggling to get out of their own half, as Spain continue to press them inside the half. And Southgate blinks first with his substitutions, with Ollie Watkins, the match-winner against the Netherlands, replacing the booked Harry Kane up top. Cole Palmer is then subbed on for Kobbie Mainoo in an attacking change to try and get England back into the game. As for Spain, Mikel Oyarzabal replaces Alvaro Morata, who is Spain's record appearance maker at this Euros with 17 matches to his name for the final 20 minutes. And finally on 73 minutes, England equalised! Advantage England played by the referee as Palmer finds Saka, who dribbles towards the penalty area, gets past two people, finds Bellingham, whose touch finds PALMERRR!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE SCENES IN BERLIN!! DO NOT WRITE OFF THE THREE LIONS HERE!!! COLE PALMER LEVELS THE SCORE ON 73 MINUTES!!! IT'S JUST WHAT ENGLAND AND GARETH SOUTHGATE NEEDED. MAD CELEBRATIONS FOR THE FANS BACK IN ENGLAND!! INCREDIBLE FINISH FROM THE 22-YEAR-OLD!! SIDE FOOTS HIS EFFORT BEYOND UNAI SIMON'S REACH, AND WE ARE BACK ON TERMS WITH 16 MINUTES TO PLAY! SPAIN 1 - ENGLAND 1!
There could not be a better time to score than now!! England are well and truly in the fight!! Now, we see Spain continue to apply the pressure onto the England defence, as Yamal's effort saved yet again by Pickford, and out for another corner. And on 86 minutes, DRAMA STRUCK!! Spain have the ball as it's Fabian Ruiz, who finds Dani Olmo, who finds Cucurella with a beautiful through ball, as Spain advance forward, OPTIONS IN THE BOXX!! SPAIN HAVE SCORED!!!! AND IT IS MIKEL OYARZABAL WHO PUTS THE DAGGER INTO ENGLAND HEARTS WITH THAT FINISH THAT SURELY WINS THE GAME FOR LA ROJA!! BEAUTIFUL RUN FROM CUCURELLA TO FIND THE REAL SOCIEDAD FORWARD, WHOSE RIGHT BOOT STABS THE BALL BEYOND PICKFORD'S REACH AND SURELY NOW WITH 4 MINUTES TO PLAY, SPAIN HAVE WON THEIR 4TH EUROS TITLE!! A WONDERFUL TEAM MOVE, WHICH CAUGHT THE ENGLAND PLAYERS ASLEEP AND IT WAS OYARZABAL, WHO WAS PLAYED ONSIDE BY JOHN STONES, WHO SPARKS WILD CELEBRATIONS FROM THE SPANISH FANS!!
Surely the winner? Oyarzabal, Williams Jr & Yamal celebrate Spain's second goal
There is still time for England to try and save the contest with 3 minutes plus stoppage time to play, they nearly levelled the contest, but Spain stood strong!! Palmer's corner swung into the box, AND BRILLIANT SAVE BY UNAI SIMON TO DENY DECLAN RICE'S HEADER, AND GUEHI'S FOLLOW-UP HEADER IS CLEARED OFF THE LINE BY DANI OLMO!!! AND OVER THE BAR BY DECLAN RICE IN THE END!! IS THIS ANOTHER DEFYING MOMENT OF THE EURO FINAL?!
MORE DRAMA PLEASE! Dani Olmo clears Guehi's header on the line for his team!
That was the last chance for England to try and level the game. AND THAT IS THAT!! THE REFEREE BLOWS THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE AND IT'S SPAIN WHO TRUIMPH IN THE FINAL!!! SPAIN WIN THE EUROS FOR THE 4TH TIME!!! IF THE WOMEN WON THE WORLD CUP AT SYDNEY IN AUGUST 2023, THE MEN ALSO WIN ANOTHER MAJOR TROPHY!! THEY TAKE DOWN ENGLAND WHO PLAYED WITH THEIR HEART AND SOUL ON THE PITCH, BUT IT WAS LUIS DE LA FUENTE'S YOUNG GUNS WHO WILL TAKE HOME THE LAURELS!! It is absolute heartbreak for England, who come so close to winning the final of the EUROS, yet they could not produce the magic moment. They lost on penalties to Italy at Wembley in the previous EUROS, and now, they lose to Spain at Berlin in 2024. Enhorabuena to Spain for winning! The trophy wait continues for England and Gareth Southgate, but they will be pleased with the fact that they made back-to-back EURO finals for the first time in their history.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: NICO WILLIAMS JR
For his spectacular 90 minutes on the pitch Nico Williams is awarded Player of the Match
If there was one person who deserved to win Player of the Match, you can say that Lamine Yamal should win it, Oyarzabal for his 86th minute winner, or Dani Olmo for his terrific contribution in setting up the winner & for his goal-line clearance. But none of that beats Nico Williams Jr. His dribbling and pace has troubled Kyle Walker so much, it wasn't just that, the England players failed to deal with his trickery in the penalty area. Before his 22nd birthday, he won the Copa De España with his boyhood club, Athletic Bilbao in April, and now he wins the EUROS for his nation. What a player!
POST-MATCH PICTURES:
Dani Olmo with the golden boot, sharing with Jamal Musiala & Harry Kane who have scored 3 goals at this tournament, but Olmo won it due to his contribution.
Lamine Yamal wins the Young Player of the Tournament award for his terrific performance throughout the tournament
Rodri wins the Player of the Tournament for his terrific performance throughout!
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