England journey to west Berlin on Sunday to tackle Spain within the Euro 2024 ultimate – already a mammoth job. However there’s one stat that really places the problem in context.
Gareth Southgate has as soon as once more led his expenses to a Euros ultimate. A 2-1 victory over the Netherlands , sealed by a stoppage-time winner from substitute Ollie Watkins , booked the Three Lions place on the Olympiastadion for the showdown with Spain.
La Roja didn’t enter the match as favourites however rapidly established themselves because the crew to beat, with formidable widemen in Nico Williams and the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal including to a commanding midfield internet hosting the likes of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz. A troublesome job lies forward for the Three Lions on 14 July; this stat exhibits the Spanish know a factor or two about dealing with the stress of a ultimate.
During the last 20 years, Spain have not misplaced any ultimate of a serious worldwide competitors they’ve obtained to. No, actually.
An period of dominance noticed them elevate the Euros twice in 2008 and 2012 – brushing apart Germany and Italy respectively – with the small matter of the 2010 World Cup sandwiched in between. After all, they collected it after defeating the Netherlands in Johannesburg.
Spanish superiority doesn’t finish there, nonetheless, as the identical report additionally extends to the ladies’s nationwide crew. They famously knocked England down on the ultimate hurdle within the 2023 World Cup in Sydney, a first-half Olga Carmona strike delivering the harm on that event.
That’s most likely sufficient, proper? Flawed. The Spaniards’ mastery of the large event stretches into the home sport, with no Spanish aspect within the males’s sport having misplaced a serious European ultimate to overseas opposition within the final 20 years.
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
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12 months
Competitors
Spanish winner
Loser
2004
Europa League
Valencia
Marseille
2006
Champions League
Barcelona
Arsenal
2006
Europa League
Sevilla
Middlesbrough
2007
Europa League
Sevilla
Espanyol
2009
Champions League
Barcelona
Manchester United
2009
Membership World Cup
Barcelona
Estudiantes
2010
World Cup
Spain
Netherlands
2010
Europa League
Atletico Madrid
Fulham
2011
Champions League
Barcelona
Manchester United
2011
Membership World Cup
Barcelona
Santos
2012
European Championship
Spain
Italy
2012
Europa League
Atletico Madrid
Athletic Bilbao
2014
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Atletico Madrid
2014
Membership World Cup
Actual Madrid
San Lorenzo
2014
Europa League
Sevilla
Benfica
2015
Champions League
Barcelona
Juventus
2015
Membership World Cup
Barcelona
River Plate
2015
Europa League
Sevilla
Dnipro
2016
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Atletico Madrid
2016
Membership World Cup
Actual Madrid
Kashima Antlers
2016
Europa League
Sevilla
Liverpool
2017
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Juventus
2017
Membership World Cup
Actual Madrid
Gremio
2018
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Liverpool
2018
Membership World Cup
Actual Madrid
Al-Ain
2018
Europa League
Atletico Madrid
Marseille
2020
Europa League
Sevilla
Inter Milan
2021
Europa League
Villarreal
Manchester United
2022
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Liverpool
2022
Membership World Cup
Actual Madrid
Al-Hilal
2023
Girls’s World Cup
Spain
England
2023
Europa League
Sevilla
Roma
2024
Champions League
Actual Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
It’s an enormous report for Southgate’s males to overturn towards opposition that already look a powerful competitor on paper. There’s a giant job to do on Sunday. That’s with out contemplating the demons at dwelling to exorcise, particularly the crushing defeat on penalties to Italy on dwelling soil in 2021.
An enormous job lies forward, as a complete nation watches on, keen the Three Lions to elevate their first main silverware since 1966. If the Spanish’s observe report in finals is something to go by, you may be certain they gained’t make it any simpler.
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