BERLIN-. Spain and England will meet on Sunday in the final of the European Championship. Spain is looking to set a record with its fourth title of the Eurocup breaking the tie with Germany, while England are bidding to win their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. The match kicks off at 1900GMT in Berlin. Here’s what you need to know:
—Spain arrives as favourites after winning all six of its Euro matches and being recognised as the best team in the tournament. Winning the title would follow a strong period of success for Spanish teams, after they won the Nations League in June 2023 and the women won the Women’s World Cup two months later.
—Lamine Yamal is Spain’s new star, having assisted on three goals before the semi-finals, when he scored a spectacular winner against France — all at 16. Yamal turns 17 on Saturday, the day before the final. This has been a revelatory tournament for Yamal, as the 2018 World Cup was for Kylian Mbappé, who was 19 at the time, and for Pelé, who was 17, at the 1958 World Cup.
—The last time Spain played in a major final was in 2012, when the team won its third European title by beating Italy 4-0. England played in the final of the last European Championship and lost to Italy on penalties.
—England have proven resilient in coming from behind in all three of their Euro 2024 knockout games. Jude Bellingham scored a scissor-kick equaliser in the fifth minute of added time in extra time against Slovakia in the round of 16. Bukayo Saka equalised in the 80th against Switzerland in the quarter-finals before England won the shoot-out and substitute Ollie Watkins fired in a 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
—England manager Gareth Southgate has been criticised for his style in matches, but he has also changed the culture of a team that has gone far in major tournaments under his leadership. Since Southgate arrived in 2016, England have reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and are now in back-to-back European Championship finals.
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—Spain captain Alvaro Morata trained all week after limping off in the semi-final against France after being brought down by a guard trying to stop an invader during the celebrations at the end of the match. Right-back Dani Carvajal returns after serving his suspension and the only question for Luis de la Fuente will be whether Nacho or Robin Le Normand will partner Aymeric Laporte. Dani Olmo will almost certainly replace the injured Pedri in midfield.
—Southgate must decide whether Kieran Trippier or Luke Shaw will start at left-back. Shaw is a natural in the position but has made only two substitute appearances in the second half since recovering from an injury that has kept him out since February. But elsewhere Southgate will pick his own line-up after teenager Kobbie Mainoo resolved a troublesome midfield problem.
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—Spain won the European Championship in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
There are three players who have three goals at Euro 2024 and two will be in the final: England captain Harry Kane and Spain’s Dani Olmo. The rest are Georges Mikautadze of Georgia, Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands, Ivan Schranz of Slovakia and Jamal Musiala of Germany.
—It’s been six years since Spain last met England. It was as part of a two-legged Nations League tie in which Spain won 2-1 at Wembley Stadium and England won 3-2 in Seville a month later.
Source: AP