The party isn’t going to stop anytime soon in Spain as the La Rojas have secured a historic 2-1 triumph over England in the Euro 2024 final, clinching their fourth European Championship title with a thrilling 2-1 win at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. This remarkable result places them as the nation with the most Euro titles, surpassing Germany’s previous record of three.
Nico Williams began a 2nd half to remember!
The first half was a tight one, neither team really managing to land a killer blow. While Spain unsurprisingly enjoyed more possession (69%), England’s defence was up to the mark. But after the break, things got spicy! While an injury ruled Rodri out, Spain came out firing on all cylinders. Young gun Nico Williams, who was causing all sorts of trouble, became a Euros legend by becoming the second-youngest goal-scorer in a European Final just two minutes into the second half.
Impact by Palmer
England weren’t done though. While Jude Bellingham came inches close to reply Spain in minutes, Gareth Southgate started to tweak things. He brought in Cole Palmer in place of Kobbie Mainoo. The sub Palmer answered back with a goal just over two minutes after coming on himself! Talk about impact! He drove a thunderbolt from 21 meters away from the goal, bringing delight to the English fans.
Catch More Latest News on UEFA Euros:
Mikel Oyarzabal! Remember the name
The game was on a knife’s edge, but Spain had the last laugh. Spain had a surprise of their own up their sleeves. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal, who replaced skipper Alvaro Morata, turned into a superhero in the 86th minute, poking the ball in from close range to send the Spanish fans wild! Marc Cucurella, who had 50 touches and looked threatening, provided a cheeky assist to the Real Sociedad man.
England threw everything at Spain in the dying moments, but it wasn’t to be for them. A desperate header from Declan Rice was saved by the Spanish keeper Unai Simon, and Marc Guehi’s last-ditch effort was splendidly cleared off the line by Dani Olmo. It was sheer heartbreak for England, whose drought for the European trophy lingers on.
Spain, the deserving conquerors
Spain thoroughly deserved their triumph, statistically outperforming England throughout the match. They created more chances, reflected in their superior xG (expected goals) of 1.77 compared to England’s 0.55. This victory marks Spain’s first major trophy in twelve years, signifying a return to the pinnacle of international football and a sign of domination that can follow.
For England, the defeat extends their agonizing wait for a major trophy. This consecutive Euros final loss will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow, and the pressure will only intensify on manager Southgate to deliver silverware in future tournaments.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Team India sans R Ashwin leaves for Boxing-Day Test in Melbourne after Gabba stalemate
Top Stories
Shreyas Iyer must be a sure-shot inclusion in India's XI for Champions Trophy without second thought
