For the fourth time in team history, the Spanish national team won the European football championship (14.07.2024). The Spanish team narrowly defeated England 2:1 in the Euro-2024 final. Before the final, the Spaniards had won all six matches of the tournament and scored a total of 13 goals – the best performance in the championship. The English won in each of the three playoff matches and only beat Switzerland in the 1/4 final in a penalty shootout.
Bets and Forecast for the Euro 2024 final
Betting on football has drawn the interest of bookies worldwide. The odds at gg bet were 2.60 for Spain to win, 2.94 for a draw, and 3.50 for England to win the championship. The GGbet betting office’s analysts predicted that the game would be extremely competitive and might go into overtime or a penalty shootout. They noted the high level of both teams and predicted a productive game. Everything was gorgeous! The Spanish national team was distinguished by a high level of technical play and tactical sophistication. Under the leadership of Luis Enrique, the team displayed balanced football focused on ball control and quick combinations. The England team under the leadership of Gareth Southgate demonstrated modern and dynamic football, focused on quick transitions from defense to attack and high pressing. But, despite this, they still lost the cup to the Spaniards.
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How it Was?
During the first half, the rivals scored only one shot on goal: in the compensated minutes, Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon had to save the team after Phil Foden’s shot from the penalty area. After the first half, the Spaniards scored their first goal. A couple of wingers “played” in Luis de la Fuente’s team: Lamine Yamal led Nico Williams to a shot, and he shot past Jordan Pickford – 1:0!
Dani Olmo got a chance to double the advantage in a matter of minutes. From Williams’ pass, the midfielder got rid of his guard and went into a striking position, but he did not get the ball properly – it went past the goal. After an hour of playing time, the teams exchanged sharp blows from outside the penalty area: at the moment of Jude Bellingham, when the ball passed near the post, the Spaniards responded with Fabian Ruiz’s attempt over the crossbar. Three minutes after coming on as a substitute, Cole Palmer was enough to restore parity. Jude Bellingham rolled the ball under the blow of the English “joker”, and he directed it into the far corner – 1:1!
Yamal could have snatched victory for Spain in the final 10 minutes, but his shot was dealt with by Pickford, making his fourth save in the match. Four minutes later, de la Fuente’s substitution worked: Mikel Oyarzabal blocked a cross from Marc Cucurella, ahead of the defenders and Pickford from the approaches to the goalkeeper. Spain took the lead for the second time – 2:1. Olmo’s clearance from the goal line was decisive, preventing England from equalizing the score in the last minute of regular time.
What does the victory of Spain mean?
- The Spaniards have won the main Euro trophy for the fourth time in history. Additionally, it was their first victory over the Italian national team since the Kyiv final in 2012.
- England is losing in the European Championship finals for the second year running, a first for any national team. In 2021, the Italians prevailed over Southgate’s team – but only after a penalty shootout.
- With that victory, Spain became the most accomplished national team in the history of the European Championship, surpassing even Germany.
- The 15 goals scored by de la Fuente’s wards during the tournament are a historical record for scoring in one Euro draw.
The lineups of both teams showed the high quality and depth of their lineups. Spain relied on their technical prowess and game organization, while England relied on speed, physical strength and team discipline. These factors made the Euro 2024 final exciting and unpredictable.
