SPAIN vs ENGLAND
Sunday July 14th, 8pm
Spain @ 8/5
Draw @ 15/8
England @ 12/5
view odds
In 1977, inspired by seeing two people kiss by the Berlin Wall, David Bowie began to write the lyrics to what would become one of his most famous songs, “Heroes”.
As Gareth Southgate takes his unified England squad to the now unified German capital to contest the final of Euro 2024 will he, too, find inspiration? And can the England players seize their chance to become heroes?
Spain v England is an 8pm kick-off at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday.
Despite making it to a second successive Euros final, the subject of whether Southgate or England is actually any good is still being debated.
‘As Napoleon said, though, it is better to have lucky generals than good ones.’
The quality of individual players is clear. The introduction of Kobbie Mainoo to the starting XI has greatly improved the dynamism of the midfield. Ollie Watkins’ exquisite late winner against The Netherlands illustrated the level of ability that currently occupies the bench. And Bukayo Saka has proved that his name belongs in the upper echelons of world football.
But as a team they have only really looked like an elite outfit for about an hour or so over the course of the last three weeks. Individual heroics prevented an ignominious exit against Slovakia in the round of 16. France finishing second in their group created an unbalanced draw which England have only just managed to capitalise upon.
As Napoleon said, though, it is better to have lucky generals than good ones. And maybe England have been due some luck in major tournaments – for the ‘hand of god’, for Lampard’s ‘goal’ in 2010, for usually ending up in the wrong half of the draw. Perhaps it evens itself out over the course of a lifetime?
Aside from fortune, Southgate has curated an unprecedented spirit within the squad; under his guidance England have finally become good at penalties; and the accusations of tactical inflexibility have been, to some extent, rebutted by the fact that the starting XI now lines-up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
What does Southgate have to do to silence the grumbling once and for all? Easy. Convincingly beat Spain on Sunday.
Arriving at Euro 2024 without their usual fanfare, Spain have been better than England. And, in beating France and Germany on the way to the final, they have shown they are better than everyone else. Their recipe of a largely very experienced XI plus a paprika sprinkle of livewire youth and exuberance has delighted all viewers right from the very first game.
Spain also do not appear to be a squad buckled out of shape by the presence of bloated egos. Lamine Yamal, if he continues in his current trajectory, may come to dominate the direction and style of the team; but at 16 years old, he doesn’t quite possess the power to call all the shots just yet.
‘Immortality beckons for these England players.’
But Southgate has shown, in another riposte to his detractors, that his biggest names can be hooked. Unlike Ronaldo, Harry Kane now knows he can be replaced, even if there is a penalty shoot-out looming. We will see if Jude Bellingham, whose energy levels seemed low against The Netherlands, can contribute enough to prevent his removal from action in Berlin.
Immortality beckons for these England players. An unprecedented major tournament triumph on foreign soil would elevate them to the most rarefied strata of the nation’s sporting history.
And are things coming together at just the right time? The performances are improving, Luke Shaw’s late return will provide much-needed width on England’s left flank, Kobbie Mainoo showed in the FA Cup Final that the presence of Rodri in the opposition midfield is a surmountable barrier.
The opportunity is there. All the players could be heroes…and for a lot longer than just for one day…
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