England will battle Spain in a final billed to be a clash of World soccer titans. The two teams appear equally of two teams with very talented players and depth in squad.
Per the form of both teams in the tournament so far, Spain starts as favourites with 16-year old sensation, Lamine Yamal, so far emerging as one of the top stars of the tournament. But the Three Lions have demonstrated that they have the men, resilience and experience to pull surprises.
The English side, unlike the Spaniards have started quite slowly but have gained some momentum and cannot be easily written especially when the stakes are high.
Spanish reporter Graham Hunter believes that the Spaniard still have a lot to prove and it may not be a done deal for them yet for the la Roja.
“Given how well Spain played in the EURO 2020 semi-final against Italy, this match-up with England could very easily have been the last EURO final at Wembley. Several Spain starters have either played with, or suffered at the hands of, Jude Bellingham so it will be interesting to see how they try to minimise his influence. La Roja have been relentless in Germany: they came here to do this job, and there was only contained excitement after beating France in the semis. Frankly, I think they still have a little bit more left to give,” he is quoted to have said.
English reporter, Joseph Terry says the Three Lions have had a difficult ride so far and their mental strength has been crucial to their progress.
“England’s passage through the knockout rounds has been far from easy, with a last-gasp equaliser to force extra time, a penalty shoot-out and Ollie Watkins’ superb 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands. Undoubtedly, this is firming up the resolve and self-belief in the squad, who have developed an enviable ‘we cannot lose’ mentality. After the heartbreak of the penalty defeat in the EURO 2020 final, this band of brothers has another chance to finally win some silverware for a country so desperate for success in its national sport,” he argues.
But for English Manager, Gareth Southgate, this may be his last chance to win a trophy with the Three Lion on this spell as Manager with speculations rife that he may leave after the tournament: “Now we want to win against a Spain team that has been the best of the tournament. It’ll be hard. They press very well, so we will have to be exceptional with the ball and we will have to be exceptional without it. But it’s a final, you expect that.”
Spanish Manager, Luis de la Fuente believes his players can rise to the occasion: “I know [my players] can give much more and be even better – and I’m pretty sure we will. Our idea of football is based on our self-belief. We want to play to our strengths. I’m sure the final will be totally different [from the semi-final], against opponents who will demand the best from us”.
A thrilling encounter awaits soccer fans.
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