A month-long football spectacle boils down to this as the Olympiastadion in Berlin sets the stage for a mouth-watering 2024 European Championship final between Spain and England on Sunday.
Both teams had to come from behind in their respective semi-final ties to reach the title-deciding fixture and get a chance to take Italy’s crown in the first tournament held in Germany since 1988.
That year, both nations failed to advance past the group stage.
Almost four decades on, Spain can break the tie with Germany as the joint-most successful team in Euros history.
Each nation has three titles, with the Spaniards’ most recent continental triumph dating back to 2012 when they thrashed Italy 4-0 in the showpiece event.
Luis de la Fuente’s side overhauled an early deficit in a 2-1 win against France in the semi-finals to set up another history-defining showdown.
Keen to stop the Iberian heavyweights in their tracks, England head into proceedings buoyed by a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against the Netherlands in their last-four tie.
Goals from Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins propelled the Three Lions to their second consecutive Euros final, giving them a chance to avenge a 2020 heartbreak against Italy.
Despite facing harsh criticism for England’s sub-par performances throughout the tournament, Gareth Southgate is potentially 90 minutes away from leading his country to their maiden continental success.
In search of good omens, England have got the better of Spain in all four previous meetings between the teams at the Euro finals, most recently overcoming them in the 1996 quarter-finals on penalties.
Euros folklore beckoning
Spain’s incredible showings at Euro 2024 have earned them a tag as pre-match favourites against England, a side heavily fancied to lift the crown ahead of the tournament.
De la Fuente’s charges steamrolled to a top-table finish in Group B, beating Croatia, Italy and Albania via an aggregate score of 5-0.
La Furia Roja continued to dazzle in the knockout stage with a 4-1 comeback win against Georgia before squeaking past host nation Germany 2-1 after extra time.
The Spaniards affirmed their continental credentials in the semis, as Lamine Yamal became the youngest-ever scorer at major tournaments to inspire a turnaround.
Yamal turns 17 the day before the final and will be keen to celebrate his birthday as the European champion.
He has been the point of difference in the knockout stages, contributing to a goal in all three one-off ties to soak up the limelight as the tournament’s standout performer.
It’s now or never
While this is a ‘make or break’ fixture for Southgate, it’s also probably a ‘now or never’ opportunity for England to conquer the Euro finals for the first time.
Southgate’s side have failed to impress in Germany, drawing four straight matches in regulation after a narrow 1-0 win against Serbia in their curtain-raising Group C outing.
England had to bounce back from a deficit in their last two knockout ties, becoming the first nation in Euros history to enter the final having trailed in both the quarter-final and semi-final.
Kane hasn’t been at his usual best, but his spot-kick conversion to initiate a comeback against the Dutch made him the most prolific player in the Euros knockout stages with six goals.
Although the Three Lions’ performances have lacked conviction, their win against the Netherlands was a significant improvement on their earlier displays.
Beating the Dutch was no small feat, considering they’re the highest-ranked nation England have crashed out of a major tournament since eliminating Spain at Euro 1996.
Spain vs England potential line-ups
Spain (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Daniel Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams.
England (3-4-2-1): Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi; Bukayo Saka, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Luke Shaw; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden; Harry Kane.
Prediction
Spain’s win against France bookended their eight-game winning streak, accounting for their best run since 2012 when a Euro final win against Italy formed part of a flawless nine-game stretch.
Their rich vein of form spells trouble for England, with Southgate already admitting that ‘nothing less than perfection’ will do for his title-aspiring cast of superstars.
One goal could make a difference in this clash of titans, and we expect the team which breaks the deadlock will waltz away with the crown.
