The Euro 2024 closing, a heavyweight conflict between Spain and England, is lastly right here after an exhilarating month of motion in Germany. Prepare for Sunday’s title match with theScore’s complete preview package deal.
The lowdown 📝
Who: Spain vs. EnglandWhat: European Championship finalWhen: Sunday, July 14 at 3 p.m. ETWhere: Olympiastadion (Berlin, Germany)Referee: Francois Letexier (France)VAR: Jerome Brisard (France)
How one can watch 📺
TV: FOX, TUDN, Univision (U.S.); TSN, TLN (Canada)Stream: fuboTV, FOX Sports activities (U.S.); CTV (Canada)
Betting odds 🤑
Odds by way of theScore Guess
Spain: +145Draw: +180England: +230
Key questions ❓
Will Spain dominate possession?
It appears unattainable, but it surely’s true: England has averaged a better fee of possession than Spain at Euro 2024. The distinction is marginal – England’s 58.8% mark narrowly tops Spain’s 57.3% – and it has so much to do with the extent of opposition every staff has confronted. Spain navigated a harder path to the ultimate, dealing with Georgia, Germany, and France, whereas England fought off Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. La Roja’s sort of soccer is now not a byproduct of infinite possession anyway. Coach Luis de la Fuente permits his staff to play riskier vertical passes and tackle defenders. England might comply with the identical blueprint as Germany did in its slim quarterfinal defeat to Spain. With 22 fouls in that sport, Germany efficiently disrupted Spain’s rhythm and practically took it to a penalty shootout.
Will Kane win the Golden Boot?
Regardless of coming underneath heavy criticism from the likes of Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, Harry Kane goes into Sunday’s closing with a share of the lead in Euro scoring. His three objectives have both given England the lead or leveled the rating, and nobody will overlook the best way he dispatched the winner within the spherical of 16 towards Slovakia. Whereas Kane often delivers when England so desperately craves a breakthrough, the 30-year-old has performed too deep to actually stand out up high. He solely had 13 touches within the attacking third towards the Netherlands, far too low of a determine for a participant surrounded by a lot expertise. However typically the margins are certainly wonderful, and Kane has used his touches correctly. Now he has an opportunity to turn out to be a Golden Boot winner at each the World Cup and Euros. Gerd Muller is the one participant to have achieved that feat. Kane simply has to outscore rival Dani Olmo within the closing.
Can Yamal do extra injury?
Lamine Yamal is now formally 17 and all of the wiser after changing into the youngest participant to attain in Euro historical past. Everyone knows he is able to magic, however England’s width might stymie his and Nico Williams’ finest makes an attempt down the wing. Gareth Southgate has most well-liked a 3-4-3 formation as of late, with Bukayo Saka at proper wing-back and fit-again Luke Shaw rising on the left. Kyle Walker’s restoration tempo on the proper facet of Southgate’s again three is an added bonus. So Yamal and Williams could not have as a lot freedom to dribble down the flanks and into harmful areas. Then once more, England hasn’t confronted many dribblers like Yamal and Willimas at these Euros. The Three Lions have largely needed to unpick low blocks of 4 and 5 defenders, so the problem Sunday will probably be far totally different.
Additional studying 📖
Dive into among the storylines surrounding the competition
Harm updates 🤕
The newest on the lingering lineup questions
Participant
Staff
Harm
Standing
Alvaro Morata
Spain
Leg
Anticipated to begin
Harry Kane
England
Foot
Anticipated to begin
Kieran Trippier
England
Groin
Anticipated to begin
Projected lineups 👀
Spain (4-2-3-1): Unai Simon; Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri; Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal; Alvaro Morata
England (3-4-2-1): Jordan Pickford; Marc Guehi, John Stones, Kyle Walker; Kieran Trippier, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden; Harry Kane
Equipment matchup 👕
![](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/028f-1b597d73ac44-344837a5ddc4-1000/format/wide1/euro_24_-_2_players_h2h_-_facebook_2_.jpeg?imwidth=2048)
(Picture courtesy: UEFA)
Path to the ultimate 🏟
Reviewing how each groups obtained to Berlin
Spain
Group stage: First place in Group BRound of 16: Beat Georgia 4-1Quarterfinals: Beat Germany 2-1 AETSemifinals: Beat France 2-1
England
Group stage: First place in Group CRound of 16: Beat Slovakia 2-1 AETQuarterfinals: Tied Switzerland 1-1 (gained 5-3 on penalties)Semifinals: Beat Netherlands 2-1
By the numbers 🔢
Uncooked statistics for the 2 finalists
Spain 🇪🇸
England 🏴
6-0-0
File
3-3-0
12
Objectives Scored
7
2
Objectives Towards
4
Olmo (3)
High Scorer
Kane (3)
Superior metrics
Spain 🇪🇸
England 🏴
10.9
Anticipated Objectives (xG)
5.5
6.2
xG Towards
5.3
+4.7
xG Distinction
+0.2
Match pedigree 🏆
Greatest European Championship end for each nations
Spain: Champion (1964, 2008, 2012)
Spain is the one staff to have gained back-to-back European Championships, and the nation is seeking to turn out to be the primary to win 4 in whole. La Roja’s reign of terror from 2008-2012 – throughout which period they lifted the World Cup – is taken into account certainly one of world soccer’s most defining eras. Spain additionally has an unbelievable report in finals. Since Could 2001, Spanish groups competing within the Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, and Euros have gained all 22 finals through which they’ve confronted non-Spanish groups.
England: Finalist (2020)
England is enjoying in a serious match closing on overseas soil for the primary time. It gained the 1966 World Cup at Wembley Stadium and misplaced there to Italy through the Euro 2020 closing. No staff has ever been defeated in consecutive Euro finals earlier than, and England will hope to keep away from making the incorrect type of historical past. A win in Berlin would finish England’s 58-year look ahead to a serious males’s championship. England’s girls’s staff gained the Euro in 2022 after beating Germany at Wembley.
Enjoyable information 🤯
![](https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/635817/cropped_GettyImages-2160763818.jpg?ts=1720199755)
3: Dani Olmo, who began the match on the substitutes’ bench, has scored a purpose in every of Spain’s three knockout matches. David Villa is the one participant who’s scored in 4 consecutive matches at both the World Cup or Euros.
3: England has come from behind to win all three of its knockout matches at Euro 2024, tying the Czech Republic (2004), Turkey (2008), and France (2020) for essentially the most consecutive comeback victories at a single Euro.
8: Spain has gained eight straight matches throughout all competitions, together with all six at this 12 months’s Euro. England has gained 5 of its final eight.
14: Spain wants only one extra purpose to tie France’s 1984 staff as essentially the most prolific facet in Euro historical past with 14 objectives in a single match.
255: No staff at Euro 2024 has gained the ball extra instances than Spain, which has battled off opponents to assert possession on 255 events. The statistic is a testomony to Spain’s excessive press and dedication to successful duels in midfield.
What they’re saying 🗣
De la Fuente: “Our thought of soccer is predicated on our self-assurance. I do know that we’re in a position to play soccer, we have seen it all through the match. Individually, (the gamers) are unbelievable, however they provide the collective advantages of their particular person qualities … they at all times work for the widespread good, for the collective effort. They’re very beneficiant of their efforts and work fee. This is only one extra signal that that is an insatiable staff, that they need to hold bettering with the spirit of sacrifice. I would like you to know that this may increasingly shock you greater than it surprises us as a result of we knew the chances we had.”
Southgate: “All of us need to be beloved, proper? Once you’re doing one thing in your nation, and you are a proud Englishman, when you do not really feel that again, and when all you learn is criticism, it is arduous. So to have the ability to rejoice a second closing could be very, very particular, particularly with followers that journey. The touring assist is superb. The amount of cash they’ve spent to journey, the dedication to try this, to have the ability to give them nights like this – and we have positively given them a number of during the last six years from Russia onward – means so much.”
Prediction 🔮
Spain 1, England 1 (England wins 4-3 on penalties)
On paper, Spain ought to beat England. However the sport is performed on grass, and in Germany, the Three Lions have already snatched victory from the jaws of defeat greater than as soon as. England has gained video games like Actual Madrid have gained titles, scoring in crucial moments and doing simply sufficient to advance. All you want in match soccer is a good sense of timing, and England seems to have it. Count on Kane, Phil Foden, or Jude Bellingham to attain the purpose that takes the sport to additional time. Spain will restrict England’s possibilities utilizing possession as a type of protection however will ultimately fall in a shootout, handing the English their first-ever European Championship.