After 28 days of drama and greater than 80 hours of soccer, 24 groups have been filtered down to 2. There is just one extra sport to play.
Spain and England put together for battle on the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday night, assembly for the primary time since 2018 to combat for the European Championship title — and there are some thrilling narratives to sift by means of.
How do you cease Spain’s relentless wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams? Have England turn into predictably unpredictable? Can you narrow off Spain’s provide at supply? England substitutions…. talk about.
The Athletic profiles the finalists’ strengths and weaknesses, the important thing battles, and the various sub-plots in your definitive tactical information to the Euro 2024 closing.
Nobody can begrudge Spain making it to the ultimate.
After their 2-1 semi-final victory over France, Luis de la Fuente’s facet turned the primary nation to win six matches in a single version of the European Championships. They wanted additional time towards Germany however have in any other case dispatched every opponent in 90 minutes with the authority of ‘un viejo’ (an previous man) swatting a fly away from his tapas.
With 9 totally different goalscorers, Spain’s attacking risk has come from all around the pitch however it’s clear the place they possess probably the most hazard.
Williams and Yamal have lit up this event on both flank, with their purposeful working and relentless dribbling dragging their facet ahead with their counter-attacking risk. The dynamic duo are answerable for 46 per cent of Spain’s whole tried take-ons this event.
The prodigious Yamal turned the youngest scorer in European Championship historical past (16 years, 362 days) after his unimaginable semi-final objective towards France.
It was a strike that would simply win objective of the event and you can’t say that France weren’t warned. Yamal’s tendency to chop inside onto his stronger left foot and curl a shot to the far publish has turn into Arjen Robben-esque — you understand what he’s about to do however stopping it’s one other activity altogether.
LAMINE YAMAL 😮💨😮💨😮💨
An absolute screamer from the 16-year-old!#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #ESPFRA pic.twitter.com/z4AaZwwWJp
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 9, 2024
This was UNREAL from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal 😱😱
Spain followers are going to recollect this one endlessly ⬇️🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/BN52vdSrhL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 9, 2024
And right here he’s doing that a number of instances for Spain as an excellent youthful youngster…
2023: Lamine Yamal finishes prime scorer at #U17EURO with 4 objectives.
2024: Lamine Yamal scores a worldie within the #EURO2024 semi-final.
What a expertise 👏🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/IRJignOqCA
— UEFA U17 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) July 9, 2024
Past his capturing, Yamal’s artistic risk has stood out probably the most. No Spanish participant has logged greater than his 11 open-play possibilities created and it’s his depraved supply to the again publish that has persistently posed a risk.
GO DEEPER
Perfection, by Lamine Yamal
Towards France, Fabian Ruiz ought to have achieved higher from Yamal’s inviting cross however these whipped balls have turn into a trademark of {the teenager} — if that’s even doable at his tender age — having assisted two objectives utilizing the identical approach. He persistently cuts onto his stronger foot within the left channel or half-space and delivers a superbly weighted ball to the oncoming team-mate crashing the field.
Opponents shouldn’t be stunned, given the near-identical deliveries he has offered for his membership Barcelona throughout the previous 12 months.
Whereas Yamal acquired the plaudits for his efficiency on the best wing on Tuesday, it’s down the left flank that Spain have mostly channelled their assault this summer time.
Towards France, 59 per cent of their attacking touches got here within the left third of the pitch — the second-highest share of any Euro 2024 sport — with Spain seeing a notable tilt of their strategy throughout the event. Whereas 30 per cent of their total attacking touches have come from Yamal’s proper flank, 45 per cent have come down the left.
Why? Properly, largely because of the attacking attributes on either side of the pitch. The place Yamal thrives off going through his opponent up in a one-v-one state of affairs, Williams has been glorious at combining with left-back Marc Cucurella to overload their opponents on that facet.
That is proven neatly in Spain’s passing community from their semi-final conflict with France.
The rotations between Williams and Cucurella have been essential to Spain’s assault. Generally, will probably be the 21-year-old isolating his reverse quantity within the left channel (white) as Cucurella occupies the left half-space (pink)…
…whereas different instances, the pair will swap, as Cucurella hugs the touchline and Williams gives a penetrative run in behind between the opposition full-back and centre-back.
How can England cease Spain’s hazard in large areas?
In brief, with nice problem. England’s flexibility to shift to a again 5 of their quarter-final and semi-final clashes will likely be essential as they give the impression of being to condense the area throughout the width of the sphere.
Particularly, Bukayo Saka’s power will likely be required to guard England’s proper facet towards Spain’s left-sided rotations. Saka got here in for reward from his supervisor for his defensive self-discipline towards the Netherlands on Wednesday night, shifting his position out of possession in keeping with the tactical tweaks made by the Dutch.
“The gamers made so many good choices on the sphere,” Southgate stated after the sport.
“Individuals like Bukayo Saka; the defensive accountability he had. He began defending as a wing-back, then he had to enter midfield to defend, then he needed to defend as a winger. There was so many issues like that happening all night time however I used to be actually happy with the standard of our play.”
Communication with Kyle Walker was essential to such defensive self-discipline towards the Netherlands. As proven beneath, Saka drops right into a again 5 earlier than Walker directs him to leap out to shut Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman — permitting Walker to shuffle throughout to Cody Gakpo and retain England’s again 4.
It’s a easy but important motion to make sure that the opposition doesn’t progress additional. You may simply substitute this example out for Cucurella and Williams.
By the identical token, England needs to be empowered to assault Spain’s left flank and goal Cucurella’s defensive frailties — particularly with the attacking prowess that Saka has proven on this event.
Cucurella has had a good summer time in a Spain shirt however has not been convincing at membership stage since making the transfer to Chelsea from Brighton in 2022. Of the possibilities that Spain have conceded, 42 per cent have come down their left flank in contrast with 24 per cent down their proper — and the 25-year-old has usually been the weak hyperlink, whether or not it’s defending back-post crosses, together with Spain’s concessions towards Germany and France…
…or failing to dam crosses himself from his personal flank.
With almost each England participant having confronted Cucurella within the Premier League, they are going to be conversant in his shortcomings out of possession. Preying upon them can be a choice that would show profitable.
Spain’s wingers have grabbed the headlines however their midfield engine has allowed them to hit prime gear.
The partnership of Rodri and Ruiz has been near-perfect, giving freedom to Pedri and — extra not too long ago — Dani Olmo to choose up pockets of area between the traces.
Rodri is a person working on the peak of his powers up to now 18 months, with a consistency that’s so spectacular that we’re in peril of taking it with no consideration. Spain’s No 16 has made 403 passes on this event with a completion charge of 94 per cent. Let that sink in.
Coupled with the box-crashing, technical high quality of Ruiz, Rodri has the capability to catalyse the assault or act as the discharge valve below stress — scaling up or down nonetheless he sees match.
Breaking down Spain’s open-play shot-ending sequences, you may be assured that this formidable pair can have their fingerprints on their nation’s assault at some stage.
Due to this fact, stopping that midfield pairing will go an extended solution to stopping Spain’s fluid strategy at supply.
How would possibly England try this? Properly, Germany offered a good blueprint within the first half of their quarter-final conflict, with midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Emre Can going man-for-man on Rodri and Fabian Ruiz throughout Spain’s build-up — stopping the pair from dictating the play.
There have been numerous examples the place Germany pressed aggressively to make sure that neither acquired the ball in their very own third. This pressured the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon to steadily launch the ball lengthy, usually conceding possession within the course of.
If England can keep comparable self-discipline throughout the complete sport — doubtlessly dropping Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden on the Spanish midfielders — it might forestall Spain’s engine from purring.
The problem is that De la Fuente’s facet have a double risk of their strategy. Step off them they usually can take care of possession for lengthy intervals. Attempt to get tight to them they usually can punish you with their directness in large areas.
Spain could be the standout favourites however England will arrive in Berlin because the extra skilled nation in current main tournaments.
The Spanish haven’t reached the ultimate of the Euros since they gained it in 2012 whereas Southgate has made it back-to-back finals and England wish to overcome the frustration of their loss to Italy in 2021.
A diplomatic appraisal can be that England have been complicated this summer time. There have been flashes of cohesion in possession — notably within the first half towards the Dutch — however the overriding conclusion has been that Southgate’s facet have proven strengths in particular person moments reasonably than their normal efficiency.
The pace of England’s ahead play has been an enormous supply of frustration amongst followers and the numbers assist their grievances.
Right here, we will take a look at every nation’s “direct pace”, which outlines how briskly they usually advance the ball in direction of objective (in metres per second). The next quantity signifies a crew extra prepared to get the ball ahead shortly. Moreover, we will discover how a lot a crew likes to maintain maintain of the ball once they have it, measured by “passes per sequence”. Extra passes per sequence suggests a extra thought of build-up: knocking the ball round extra throughout a given possession reasonably than a fast hoof upfield.
Evaluating England’s type to the remaining 23 groups, their strategy in possession has been cautious, risk-averse and missing in chunk for a lot of the event.
A high-possession type doesn’t need to be a nasty factor however England haven’t matched their on-ball dominance with attacking risk. Amongst all last-16 nations, solely Romania and Georgia (0.7 per 90) averaged a decrease non-penalty anticipated objectives than England’s 0.72 per 90.
The very best nation on the record? That might be Spain, producing possibilities worthy of 1.8 objectives per 90 throughout their six video games.
Southgate’s tactical acumen has been questioned at instances however his tweak to England’s system has offered a higher basis up to now two video games — notably given the combined efficacy of their urgent excessive up the sphere.
A transfer to a 3-4-2-1 has suited Saka, Foden and Bellingham particularly, with higher steadiness in assaults and higher safety in defence.
GO DEEPER
England’s change of form towards Switzerland labored – to some extent – because of Bukayo Saka
The place issues have nonetheless not fairly clicked is with Harry Kane. England’s captain scored the essential equaliser towards the Netherlands, notching his sixth objective within the knockout levels of this event — greater than another participant in European Championship historical past.
However his world-class high quality in entrance of objective, Kane’s health and type has come below higher scrutiny contemplating the impression of Ollie Watkins on Wednesday night.
On the danger of cherry-picking examples, it’s Kane’s lack of inclination to run in behind that enables the opposition to squeeze the pitch at instances. Within the instance beneath, Kane shimmies in direction of Bellingham on the ball (white arrow) regardless of a spot opening up between Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake (black arrow/space).
The state of affairs is totally different however Watkins’ want to run past the final line will not be solely essential to his objective nevertheless it provides Cole Palmer the choice to make that cross — working into area to stretch the opposition defence. Kane doesn’t make these sorts of runs.
Kane is definitely not going to be dropped for the ultimate however England would possibly want each choices to be true towards Spain — a participant who can drop in and overload central areas, but additionally a participant who can stretch the defence.
Southgate’s substitutions have drawn scrutiny this summer time — in each choice and timing.
In the end, his choices have been validated in current video games. Ivan Toney’s late arrival proved essential for England’s equaliser towards Slovakia whereas the introduction of Palmer and Watkins was an impressed selection as the 2 mixed for England’s winner towards Netherlands.
That being stated, the numbers don’t lie. Southgate has not given ample alternative for his substitutions to settle into the sport, with a median substitution time of 80 minutes being the second-latest of the perimeters to make it past the group stage.
That is notably telling when contemplating that plenty of this time has been when England have been in a shedding or drawing sport state. Southgate’s facet have spent simply 22 per cent of the time in a profitable game-state, in contrast with Spain’s 58 per cent — the best of any nation. If issues aren’t going to plan in Berlin, Southgate’s type suggests he’s extra prone to stick than twist.
GO DEEPER
Gareth Southgate has loads of choices on the bench – why is he so sluggish to make use of them?
Certain, England haven’t been free-flowing or convincing for a full sport throughout the entire event, however possibly that’s OK. In a contest the place the margins are tight and particular person high quality counts for lots, pragmatism can really go a great distance.
At membership stage, you solely have to look so far as Champions League winners Actual Madrid to know that having a inflexible construction out and in of possession may be overrated in knockout soccer.
A closing thought on Sunday’s closing can be to credit score each managers’ dedication to their respective nationwide set-up from the youth crew to the nationwide facet.
De la Fuente coached Spain to the European Championship title at under-19 stage (2016) and under-21 stage (2019), and has the chance to finish a hat-trick together with his senior squad. In the meantime, Southgate’s dedication to the English FA dates again to 2013, main England under-21s within the 2015 European Championship earlier than his promotion to the senior set-up in 2016.
Each managers have been essential to the promotion of youth inside their nationwide set-up and needs to be celebrated for the expertise on present in Sunday’s closing.
Could the very best crew win.
(Photographs: Getty Pictures/Design: Eamonn Dalton)