BERLIN: A brilliant Spain team featuring teenage sensation Lamine Yamal stands between England and a first major men’s international trophy in almost 60 years in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Spain has been the outstanding side at this European Championship, their run to the final taking in wins against title-holders Italy, hosts Germany and pre-tournament favourites France.

England, in contrast, have laboured their way to Berlin, going four straight games without winning inside 90 minutes before a stunning last-minute strike by Ollie Watkins gave them a 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands.

But a team led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane contains enough match-winners to believe it can go toe to toe with Spain and end England’s wait for glory which goes back to the 1966 World Cup.

Unlike the country’s women, who won their equivalent competition two years ago, England’s men have never won the European Championship.

Back-to-back Euros finals

This, however, is their second straight continental final after their agonising defeat on penalties against Italy in 2021, and the memory of that will help drive them on in their first-ever final on foreign soil.

“Seeing Italy walk up to lift the trophy at your home stadium lives with you as a football player,” England midfielder Declan Rice told reporters on Saturday. “We know that in the last final we probably just sat off and didn’t attack as much as we should have. There are not many times you go back-to-back in finals but this group of players are so hungry.

“We know it’s going to be tough and know you can’t overlook Spain, who have been a top nation for so many years. But I’ve never seen a group so motivated, in training, and how we talk with each other around the place.

“Everyone is so driven to win this game.”

England produced their best football at the tournament against the Dutch in Dortmund, even if they needed a controversial Kane penalty to cancel out Xavi Simons’ opener before substitute Watkins won it at the death.

Since beating Serbia 1-0 in their first game, Gareth Southgate’s side have been ahead in normal time for a combined total of about 20 minutes across five matches.

They had unconvincing draws with Denmark and Slovenia before overcoming Slovakia in extra time in the last 16, only after being rescued by a Bellingham bicycle kick in injury time.

They came from behind against Switzerland in the last eight before progressing on penalties, but the Dutch performance should give them real belief.

“On Sunday, all of us will run through brick walls, do anything to win this game,” said Rice. “Whether that’s in 90 minutes, 120, we’ll give it absolutely everything. That’s all we can ask of each other.”

Spanish revival

Spain’s form means they are the favourites going into the first meeting of the nations at either a World Cup or Euros since 1996.

While England have consistently reached the latter stages of tournaments under Southgate, Euro 2024 has confirmed the revival of the nation that dominated international football just over a decade ago.

La Roja won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012, either side of their triumph at the 2010 World Cup.

They didn’t win another knockout game at a tournament until a run to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, but that was followed by a last-16 exit at the last World Cup.

However, Luis de la Fuente then became coach and has overseen a remarkable run of results.

Spain won the UEFA Nations League last year and started their Euros campaign by thumping 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia 3-0 in Berlin.

They outclassed Italy and should have won by more than a 1-0 margin on their way to ending the group stage as the only team with maximum points and no goals conceded.

The knockout rounds have seen them ease past Georgia before coming through gruelling tests against Germany in Stuttgart and then France on Tuesday in Munich, where Yamal became the youngest ever Euros goal-scorer, aged 16 years and 362 days.

With Yamal, 17 on Saturday, on one wing, Nico Williams on the other, and Dani Olmo supporting Alvaro Morata through the middle, Spain have an attack that has scored 13 goals en route to the final, compared to England’s seven.

“I’ve told my mum that if we win I don’t want any presents, I just want to celebrate in Madrid with my mates,” Lamine, as he prefers to be called, said in an interview with Spain’s Marca outlet on Saturday.

“That would be crazy, to celebrate with people on the streets all the way from the airport. Everyone would go crazy! We would arrive with incredible euphoria.”

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024