Euro 2024 Final: Destiny vs Best-iny

Spain vs England... the UEFA Euro 2024 final... Berlin... who is taking the trophy home?

One month ago, with our Euros fever symptoms going into overdrive, the 2024 UEFA European Championship began with the hosts laying down a marker against Scotland.

One month on, Scotland are long gone and the hosts left their own party sooner than they would have hoped.

Left standing are Germany’s conquerors and Scotland’s old enemy; one team who no one could begrudge being in the final, and one team who many cannot believe are still alive.

Spain take on England in the final of Euro 2024, and here is The Full International preview of tonight’s action in Berlin.

Spain: Why should we doubt them?

Topping the group of death in style with maximum points and minimal fuss, Spain then saw off Georgia, Germany in extra-time and France to become the first team to record six wins at the same European Championship.

They have firmly planted their reputation as the best team of the tournament, revolutionising the way Spain teams of old have played, with dynamic attacking play from some of the tournament’s standout players.

Spanish teams - at club and international level - also have a terrific record in finals.

Luis de la Fuente’s men are surely an unstoppable force this summer and are going to rightly claim the trophy tonight, right?

Well, for all their greatness going forward, Spain are looking increasingly shaky at the back. They kept three clean sheets in the group stage, but in the knockouts they went behind to both Georgia and France, and lost a late lead against Germany.

In fact, better finishing and a little more luck in Germany or France’s favour could have seen Spain eliminated. Dani Carvajal will return to the team after serving his suspension, but England will feel confident of breaching the Spanish defence at least once in 90 minutes.

Recent World Cup finals aside, major tournament finals are rarely free-flowing, open matches. Bad news for Spain, coupled with the fact that the side who plays the prettiest football rarely takes the big prize home.

England: Will it finally happen?

“That was the best 45 minutes England have played all tournament!” - a line from more than one pundit after England’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands, used as justification for England reaching the final, despite them yet to have a full 90 minutes of football to shout about.

Dreary in the Group Stage, seconds away from humiliation against Slovakia, needing penalties to see off Switzerland, and a goal right on 90 minutes to better the Dutch. Somehow, Gareth Southgate’s men are in back-to-back European finals.

Their good fortune and reliance on individual moments of brilliance must run out at some point, no? On the contrary, their is a narrative brought about by all their great escapes and marginal improvements that it is England’s destiny to win this trophy.

Like a mosquito that cannot be killed, England will be out for one last bite. The type of game we have might come down to who scores the first goal; England responded well to going behind in their last two games, but when they took the lead in group matches they then went ultra-conservative.

Given that England, too, are yet to keep a knockout stage clean sheet, top scorers Spain will be eager to add to their 13 goals, though England’s switch to a back three doing little to aid their defensive cause, even if it has helped their attacking endeavours.

The core of this squad experienced the low of defeat in the final three years ago and Southgate will have them properly mentally prepared, but a first major final on foreign soil is unknown territory.

The final verdict

In hope more than expectation, I am anticipating a final with plenty of goals. Attack is the better side of both squads, but how often do we see big matches where goals look guaranteed turn into drab affairs?

Still, I am confident that there will be an early goal in this game and an equaliser before half-time - regardless of which team strikes first.

But Spain, I believe, have the more balanced team with the clearer structure. If you read my previous previews, you know I have been sticking with the winner of Spain vs Germany to go on to win the tournament, and (sorry for being boring) but I am not about to change that.

Rodri is the best in the world at what he does, and he will be the difference maker in the second half, getting the better of Phil Foden and Declan Rice, allowing Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Álvaro Morata to outnumber the English back three.

Spain 3-1 England.

Anthony Tomas is a football writer and commentator, who writes for Flashscore and World Soccer Magazine.