Who: Spain vs England
What: Euro 2024 semifinals
The place: BVB Stadion in Dortmund, Germany
When: 9pm (19:00 GMT) kickoff on Saturday, July 14
Easy methods to observe: Al Jazeera will deliver you reside textual content commentary of the sport with build-up beginning 4 hours earlier than kickoff
When Spain meet England within the ultimate of Euro 2024, historical past will beckon for both winner.
The Spanish will turn out to be the outright report winners of the competitors, transferring away from Germany, in the event that they elevate the trophy for the fourth time, whereas the English might be topped continental champions for the primary time if they arrive out on high.
Spain have loved a outstanding run to the ultimate, having already created historical past with a one hundred pc report from their six video games, and are clear favourites within the run-up to the match. England, in distinction, have stuttered, spluttered and dragged themselves from the brink of elimination to achieve the showpiece within the German capital, Berlin.
With victories in 1964, 2008 and 2012 already behind them – together with a 2010 World Cup win – the Spanish can enter the match with out concern of failure, whereas boasting a kind e book that’s fluttering freely. They swept by way of their group with out conceding a aim and have not often appeared challenged within the knockout phases regardless of being pitted in opposition to the host nation, Germany and the pretournament favourites, France.
Solely Georgia induced a momentary trace of an upset for Spanish followers, after they had the audacity to take the lead within the round-of-16 encounter – Spain swept to a 4-1 win and it may have been double that ultimately.
Amongst these to shine in opposition to the Georgians was Lamine Yamal, now a family title the world over. The Barcelona winger may have had a hat-trick in that match however saved his first event aim to degree the semifinal in opposition to the French, which wrote him into the historical past books because the youngest goalscorer at a European Championship. Saturday marked his seventeenth birthday.
Are England discovering kind simply in time for Spain showdown?
After a limp show of 1 win and two attracts of their group, England had been seconds away from elimination within the spherical of 16 in opposition to Slovenia earlier than Jude Bellingham’s last-gasp overhead kick took the tie to additional time. Harry Kane settled issues with out the necessity for penalties.
Gareth Southgate’s facet had been pushed all the best way to identify kicks by Switzerland, when Bukayo Saka was among the many heroes and banished the recollections of his miss within the Euro 2020 ultimate defeat by Italy.
That’s the closest England have beforehand come to a Euro crown, however they’ve had their moments, together with on house soil in 1996 after they agonisingly misplaced their semifinal on penalties to Germany having been the higher facet in open play.
On their strategy to the final 4 in that version, they beat Spain on penalties following a goalless draw within the quarterfinals. Additionally they produced certainly one of their most memorable performances since successful the 1966 World Cup – their solely main worldwide trophy – after they beat Netherlands 4-1 within the group stage.
It was in opposition to the Dutch, within the semifinals, that they produced their most stirring efficiency at this version. The primary-half show was complete, whereas Netherlands produced a extra stubborn response within the second interval. That just about wore down Southgate’s workforce however, with extra-time looming, Ollie Watkins got here off the bench to attain a deserved injury-time winner.
There’s little to little question that England possess the potential as a workforce to beat Spain within the ultimate however that’s based mostly on the standard of the people at Southgate’s disposal.
Ought to the England supervisor get a tune out of his stars then soccer might be “coming house” and 58 years of damage will come to an finish with solely a second piece of worldwide silverware for the nation heralded with the best home league on this planet.
Enjoyable truth
Spain are the primary workforce to win six consecutive instances on the European Soccer Championship video games. Will or not it’s a powerful seven for the Spaniards or will England burst the Spanish pinata?
Spain workforce information:
Spain welcome again Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand from suspension. Each full-backs began the quarterfinal victory in opposition to Germany with the previous despatched off in extra-time for a cynical second bookable defence within the sixth minute of further time in extra-time. The previous picked up a Twenty ninth-minute yellow card earlier than being withdrawn on the interval. The Spaniards haven’t any new harm issues in any other case, so are unlikely to make many extra modifications as they search a seventh straight win on the event.
England workforce information:
England captain Harry Kane was substituted within the semifinal victory in opposition to Netherlands resulting from fatigue, having additionally limped out of the quarterfinal win in opposition to Switzerland. A tumble into the water bottles within the technical space in the course of the last-eight encounter induced each Kane’s calves to cramp, resulting in his withdrawal. Following the last-four win in opposition to the Dutch, the Bayern Munich striker declared that he could be match and able to go within the ultimate.
Luke Shaw has made his first two appearances of the event from the bench as he continues his restoration from harm, however Southgate could also be inclined to go for the Manchester United defender’s expertise from the beginning for the ultimate.
Attainable line-ups:
Spain: Unai Simon: Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Dani Olmo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams
England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi; Bukayo Saka, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Luke Shaw; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden; Harry Kane
FIFA rating:
Spain (8), England (5)
Head-to-head report:
27 video games:
10 wins for Spain
13 for England
4 attracts
Final 5 matches:
Spain: W-W-W-W-W
England: W-D-D-W-W
