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.
How do you cease Spain’s relentless wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams? Have England grow to be predictably unpredictable? Can you narrow off Spain’s provide at supply? England substitutions…. focus on.
The Athletic profiles the finalists’ strengths and weaknesses, the important thing battles, and the numerous sub-plots in your definitive tactical information to the Euro 2024 closing.
No one 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 in opposition to 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 completely different goalscorers, Spain’s attacking menace has come from everywhere in the pitch however it’s clear the place they possess essentially 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 menace. The dynamic duo are chargeable 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 unbelievable semi-final purpose in opposition to France.
It was a strike that would simply win purpose 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 put up has grow to be Arjen Robben-esque — you already know 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 perpetually ⬇️🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/BN52vdSrhL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 9, 2024
And right here he’s doing that a couple of occasions for Spain as a good youthful baby…
2023: Lamine Yamal finishes prime scorer at #U17EURO with 4 targets.
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
Beyond his capturing, Yamal’s inventive menace has stood out essentially the most. No Spanish participant has logged greater than his 11 open-play probabilities created and it’s his depraved supply to the again put up that has persistently posed a menace.
GO DEEPER
Perfection, by Lamine Yamal
Against France, Fabian Ruiz ought to have performed higher from Yamal’s inviting cross however these whipped balls have grow to be a trademark of {the teenager} — if that’s even potential at his tender age — having assisted two targets 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 shocked, given the near-identical deliveries he has supplied for his membership Barcelona throughout the previous 12 months.
While Yamal obtained the plaudits for his efficiency on the appropriate wing on Tuesday, it’s down the left flank that Spain have mostly channelled their assault this summer time.
Against 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. While 30 per cent of their general attacking touches have come from Yamal’s proper flank, 45 per cent have come down the left.
Why? Well, largely because of the attacking attributes on either side of the pitch. Where Yamal thrives off dealing with his opponent up in a one-v-one state of affairs, Williams has been wonderful at combining with left-back Marc Cucurella to overload their opponents on that facet.
This 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. Sometimes, will probably be the 21-year-old isolating his reverse quantity within the left channel (white) as Cucurella occupies the left half-space (crimson)…
…whereas different occasions, the pair will change, 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 extensive areas?
In quick, 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 appear to condense the house throughout the width of the sphere.
In specific, Bukayo Saka’s power will likely be required to guard England’s proper facet in opposition to Spain’s left-sided rotations. Saka got here in for reward from his supervisor for his defensive self-discipline in opposition to the Netherlands on Wednesday night, shifting his function out of possession in accordance with the tactical tweaks made by the Dutch.
“The gamers made so many good selections on the sphere,” Southgate mentioned after the sport.
“People like Bukayo Saka; the defensive duty 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 evening however I used to be actually happy with the standard of our play.”
Communication with Kyle Walker was essential to such defensive self-discipline in opposition to 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 is a straightforward but very important motion to make sure that the opposition doesn’t progress additional. You can simply substitute this case out for Cucurella and Williams.
By the identical token, England must 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 an honest summer time in a Spain shirt however has not been convincing at membership degree since making the transfer to Chelsea from Brighton in 2022. Of the probabilities 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 typically been the weak hyperlink, whether or not it’s defending back-post crosses, together with Spain’s concessions in opposition to Germany and France…
…or failing to dam crosses himself from his personal flank.
With practically each England participant having confronted Cucurella within the Premier League, they are going to be acquainted with his shortcomings out of possession. Preying upon them could be a call 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 just lately — Dani Olmo to choose up pockets of house between the strains.
Rodri is a person working on the peak of his powers prior 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 price 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 underneath strain — scaling up or down nevertheless he sees match.
Breaking down Spain’s open-play shot-ending sequences, you may be assured that this formidable pair may have their fingerprints on their nation’s assault at some stage.
Therefore, stopping that midfield pairing will go a protracted technique to stopping Spain’s fluid strategy at supply.
How may England do this? Well, Germany supplied an honest 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 obtained the ball in their very own third. This pressured the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon to often launch the ball lengthy, typically conceding possession within the course of.
If England can preserve related self-discipline throughout the total sport — doubtlessly dropping Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden on the Spanish midfielders — it may forestall Spain’s engine from purring.
The concern is that De la Fuente’s facet have a double menace of their strategy. Step off them they usually can take care of possession for lengthy intervals. Try to get tight to them they usually can punish you with their directness in extensive areas.
Spain is likely to 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 received it in 2012 whereas Southgate has made it back-to-back finals and England want to overcome the frustration of their loss to Italy in 2021.
A diplomatic appraisal could be that England have been complicated this summer time. There have been flashes of cohesion in possession — significantly within the first half in opposition to the Dutch — however the overriding conclusion has been that Southgate’s facet have proven strengths in particular person moments quite than their basic efficiency.
The velocity of England’s ahead play has been an enormous supply of frustration amongst followers and the numbers help their grievances.
Here, we are able to have a look at every nation’s “direct velocity”, which outlines how briskly they sometimes advance the ball in direction of purpose (in metres per second). A better quantity signifies a crew extra prepared to get the ball ahead rapidly. Additionally, we are able to discover how a lot a crew likes to maintain maintain of the ball after they have it, measured by “passes per sequence”. More passes per sequence suggests a extra thought of build-up: knocking the ball round extra throughout a given possession quite than a fast hoof upfield.
Comparing England’s fashion to the remaining 23 groups, their strategy in possession has been cautious, risk-averse and missing in chew for a lot of the event.
A high-possession fashion doesn’t must be a foul factor however England haven’t matched their on-ball dominance with attacking menace. Among all last-16 nations, solely Romania and Georgia (0.7 per 90) averaged a decrease non-penalty anticipated targets than England’s 0.72 per 90.
The highest nation on the checklist? That could be Spain, producing probabilities worthy of 1.8 targets per 90 throughout their six video games.
Southgate’s tactical acumen has been questioned at occasions however his tweak to England’s system has supplied a better basis prior to now two video games — significantly 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 specifically, with better steadiness in assaults and better safety in defence.
GO DEEPER
England’s change of form in opposition to Switzerland labored – to some extent – due to Bukayo Saka
Where issues have nonetheless not fairly clicked is with Harry Kane. England’s captain scored the essential equaliser in opposition to the Netherlands, notching his sixth purpose within the knockout levels of this event — greater than another participant in European Championship historical past.
Notwithstanding his world-class high quality in entrance of purpose, Kane’s health and type has come underneath better scrutiny contemplating the affect of Ollie Watkins on Wednesday night.
At the chance of cherry-picking examples, it’s Kane’s lack of inclination to run in behind that enables the opposition to squeeze the pitch at occasions. In 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 completely different however Watkins’ need to run past the final line just isn’t solely essential to his purpose however it provides Cole Palmer the choice to make that cross — working into house to stretch the opposition defence. Kane doesn’t make these sorts of runs.
Kane is actually not going to be dropped for the ultimate however England may want each choices to be true in opposition to 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.
Ultimately, his selections have been validated in current video games. Ivan Toney’s late arrival proved essential for England’s equaliser in opposition to Slovakia whereas the introduction of Palmer and Watkins was an impressed alternative as the 2 mixed for England’s winner in opposition to Netherlands.
That being mentioned, the numbers don’t lie. Southgate has not given ample alternative for his substitutions to settle into the sport, with a mean substitution time of 80 minutes being the second-latest of the edges to make it past the group stage.
This is especially 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 very best of any nation. If issues are usually not going to plan in Berlin, Southgate’s type suggests he’s extra more likely 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?
Sure, 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 truly go a good distance.
At membership degree, you solely must look so far as Champions League winners Real 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 could 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 degree (2016) and under-21 degree (2019), and has the chance to finish a hat-trick along with his senior squad. Meanwhile, 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.
Both managers have been essential to the promotion of youth inside their nationwide set-up and must be celebrated for the expertise on present in Sunday’s closing.
May the most effective crew win.
(Photos: Getty Images/Design: Eamonn Dalton)
