Euro 2024 Spain’s road to the final

2024.07.13

On Sunday, July 14, Spain and England will face off in the men’s 2024 European Championship final. The former is hoping to capture their fourth Euros championship, while the latter wants to write their name on the trophy for the first time.

By far the most entertaining team in the competition has probably been Spain. Luis de la Fuente has led a team that many will believe is deserving of the title, thanks to their possession-based strategy and flexible assault in the opposing half.

They thrashed Croatia 3-0 to start their campaign, setting the standard for the rest of the match. Despite their dominance, the Spaniards won their next two games, against Italy and Albania, by a slim margin of 1-0. They finished first in their group with three victories out of three, putting them on what was probably the harder side of the bracket.

They defeated Georgia 4-1 in the Round of 16 to go to the finals, but matches against Germany and France stood in their way. Mikel Merino scored a thrilling victory just before extra time ended in the quarterfinal match against the hosts, after Florian Wirtz had cancelled out Dani Olmo’s opening goal. Spain’s 2-1 triumph in the quarterfinals was the first match they’ve required more than the allotted 90 minutes. It was followed by the semifinal victory over France, which was gained by 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and Olmo, who both scored goals in the first half and came back from behind after Kolo Muani’s opening goal in the ninth minute.

@charith