After a month of play, the UEFA Euro 2024 final is here. Spain and England have made their way through the field of top European teams, and will face off Sunday (3 p.m. ET, Fox/Univision) at Olympiastadion in Berlin with a chance to claim the Euros trophy.
England, which claims to have invented the modernized version of the sport, has longed to “bring home” the European Championships trophy, but has struggled in past years. The team came closest last Euros, nearly advancing to the final in the COVID-delayed 2020 tournament, but falling in the semifinals to Italy in penalties.
Spain, meanwhile, have won the trophy three times, in 1964 and back-to-back in 2008 and 2012. The two teams, despite being strong UEFA contenders, have not met since October 2018, where England took a 3-2 win in a UEFA Nations League matchup.
Sunday’s match is likely to be close, with England and Spain both ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings. Based on the excitement of Spain’s win over France and England’s win over the Netherlands in the semifinals, fans will be hoping for another thriller.
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LIVE score: England 0-1 Spain
47′ Nico Williams scores for Spain off an assist from Lamine Yamal.
Yamal leads Euro 2024 with 4 assists
The suddenly worrying question for England, after a mostly organized but toothless first 50+ minutes that hued close to what they wanted:
Where exactly — and how exactly — does an equalizer come about?
Will Kane take the one or two chances he’ll likely get? Is it the second ball off a free kick deep in the Spanish third? Is it Saka or Bellingham on the counter? Does Southgate go to his bench early? Tough to say.
Then again, maybe England should just focus on surviving this spell without conceding a second
56′ Williams takes another shot!
53′ Yellow card
England’s John Stones booked.
That Nico Williams finish…
Might have looked simple, but that’s a heck of a finish from Nico Williams.
Non-dominant foot; keeps it low; gets it across Pickford; and, crucially, hits it with pace, so that Pickford can’t react and make a kick-save.
47′ GOAL FOR SPAIN
Nico Williams gives Spain a 1-0 lead!
46′ Substitution
Spain’s Martin Zubimendi is replacing Rodri.
Rodri limping off at half time Zubimendi warming up during the break let’s see who starts the second half.
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) July 14, 2024
Halftime: 0-0
Frankly, not too much to report.
One shot on goal apiece.
England defended well, and pretty comfortably. Didn’t try to play too much soccer.
Rodri, unsurprisingly, has been the best player on the pitch.
A forgettable half. The next 45 (or 75) minutes will define this final.
46′ England’s first shot on target
Not a classic so far…
Through 40 minutes, the game has been A) very tactical, B) slow-paced, and C) disrupted by some fouls and minor injuries earlier.
Getting a bit more lively closer to halftime, but still 0-0.
Even as England have grown into the game, they’re not getting stretched out of their deeper-lying setup defensively. Which is key, because arguably the No. 1 way Spain beats you is by stretching you thin with direct play from Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal. As long as England maintains their four across the back while out of possession (five really, with Mainoo or Rice tucking in the middle), then Spain’s wingers can try to be direct all they want, they’ll just have Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw, both of whom can hold up in space, right in their face with help in behind.
31′ Yellow card for Spain’s Dani Olmo
25′ Yellow card for England’s Harry Kane
England has settled
England hardly produced anything resembling an attack over the first 15 minutes of this game.
But ever since their first real venture forward, via a Jude Bellingham pass out to Bukayo Saka on the right, they’ve seemed more comfortable. This feels like a 50-50 game now
Spain’s first real opportunity to attack space…
Fabian Ruiz plays Nico Williams into space down the left, and Williams drives at John Stones 1-on-1.
Stones did really, really well to keep his balance and make a sliding tackle in the penalty area.
