Spain crowned Euro 2024 champions! Luis de la Fuente’s side edged out the “Three Lions” 2-1 in an epic final at the Olympiastadion. The two teams played out a great tactical battle.
“La Furia” were the deserved winners of the coveted match, however, given their imperious performance throughout the tournament. The Iberians played attacking football that won over the hearts of the neutral fans.
Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal became the heroes for the team, scoring in the second half. First, the Athletic Bilbao ace gave Spain the lead in the 47th minute. England then launched a series of attacks and leveled the score through Cole Palmer. The turning point of the match came in the 86th minute, when Mikel Oyarzabal capitalized on a mistake in the English defense to score the most important goal of his career.
As expected, the Euro 2024 final started with Spain in total control of possession. De la Fuente’s side tried to pin England back in their own half with a series of passes.
Although they started cautiously, the Islanders gradually started to play more freely, creating a few chances that they failed to convert.
Despite Spain’s dominance in the first half, England had a great chance to take the lead in the final moments of the first half. The world’s best defensive midfielder, Declan Rice, crossed dangerously into the Spain penalty area, where defender Le Normand deflected the ball unwisely to Phil Foden, who shot from close range but was kept out by goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Given their performance in the first half, De la Fuente’s players deservedly opened the scoring. Seconds after the restart, Dani Olmo combined with Lamine Yamal, who advanced to link up with the unmarked Nico Williams, and the winger easily beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, sending the Spanish crowd at the Olympiastadion into raptures.
In their quest to restore parity, England poured forward, but their defense was caught out by a superb Spanish counter-attack. In the 66th minute, Dani Olmo found Yamal on the right flank, the team’s star set the ball up on his favored left foot and curled in a shot that was saved by Jordan Pickford.
England undoubtedly showed great spirit at Euro 2024, as the “Three Lions” came from behind for the third time in the tournament. In the 81st minute, Arsenal star Bukayo Saka controlled a pass on the right flank, threaded the ball between two opponents, and it found Jude Bellingham, who deflected it to Cole Palmer, who scored with an elegant finish to make it 1-1.
“Three Lions” goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was instrumental in helping his teammates reach the trophy clash with Spain. In the 81st minute, the Everton custodian was again forced to keep a goal out of his net when, after a perfect move by Spain, Yamal tested the English international’s reflexes from close range.
The enthusiasm that had gripped England after the equalizer seemed to have a negative impact on Gareth Southgate’s side. In the 86th minute, the players in white forgot to cover Mark Cucurella on the left, whose cross into the penalty area cut through England’s defensive line, and the onrushing Mikel Oyarzabal scored to make it 2-1.
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