Euro 2024 concludes with a showdown in Berlin , as Spain and England battle for the prestigious title at Olympiastadion.
Amidst pre-tournament buzz around hosts Germany, France led by Kylian Mbappe, and England to some extent, Luis de la Fuente's Spain quietly made their mark. They defied expectations in the challenging 'Group of Death', earning a perfect nine points against Croatia, Italy, and Albania, emerging as the sole unbeaten team without conceding a goal.
Despite a scare from Georgia in the round of 16, Spain displayed resilience. They navigated past Germany in the quarter-finals and defeated France in the semi-finals, propelled by standout performances from Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal, and Dani Olmo.
Excluding their recent Nations League triumph, Spain's senior men earned their place in their sixth major tournament final by overcoming France. Of their previous five finals, only the Euro 1984 match against France ended unfavorably for La Roja.
Having been champions of the continent in 1964, 2008, and 2012, Spain now eyes another engraving on the Henri Delaunay Trophy. A win against England would mark them as the first European men's team to claim four consecutive major tournament titles.
Meanwhile, England's path to the final under Gareth Southgate has been arduous. Despite initial struggles against Serbia and uninspiring draws with Denmark and Slovenia, they progressed, eventually defeating Slovakia in a dramatic round of 16 encounter.
Their quarter-final against Switzerland saw heroics from Bukayo Saka, who exorcised past penalty demons, similar to Stuart Pearce's iconic moment against Spain in 1996. In the semi-finals against the Netherlands, Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins sealed a thrilling comeback, marking England's first appearance in a major tournament final on foreign soil.
With Southgate's tactical acumen and England's resilient performances, they aim to emulate their women's and Under-21 sides by securing a historic Euros title, even amidst speculation about Southgate's future.
Prediction: Spain 2-1 England
Spain vs England stream and TV listing
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