Key reasons Lionesses will beat Spain in the Euros final as England turn to Sarina Wiegman's ‘finishers'

The Irish Sun

13 hours ago

TODAY is the day.
England
will look to retain their European
Championship
title against
Spain
this evening in
Basel
.
If they manage to do so, they will become the first senior
England
team to win two major titles and the first to win a major trophy abroad.
4
The Lionesses needed late goals from two supersubs to beat Italy 2-1 in extra-time in the semi-final
Credit: Getty
4
Wiegman led England to the Euro 2025 final with a dramatic win over Italy
Credit: Getty
However, the Lionesses are not the favourites going into the clash.
They face the Spanish side that beat them in the World Cup final two years ago in
Sydney
.
The two teams have faced each other twice since then, with each earning a win.
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In each of their last four meetings,
England
and
Spain
have been separated by just one goal.
So the margins could be fine once again on the biggest European stage tonight.
SunSport's Emillia Hawkins has looked at where the match could be won and lost.
WIDE AREAS
England
need to be very careful when it comes to their full-backs and Spain's wide players.
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Jess Carter struggled against Delphine Cascarino in England's opening Euro 2025 clash with
France
and made a few errors against
Sweden
.
Lucy Bronze
was also exposed in the 2023 Women's World Cup final against
Spain
.
After carrying the ball inside from the right, the full-back lost possession, Teresa Abelleira played a pass out to Mariona Caldentey in the space left behind.
Fans stunned as BBC presenter asks Lionesses keeper Hannah Hampton about 'tampon up nose' in live TV interview
4
Kelly got her toe to her rebounded penalty to get England into the final
Credit: PA
4
England scraped through close calls in the quarter and semi-finals, thanks in no small part to the heroic interventions of teenager Michelle Agyemang
Credit: Getty
The forward then set Olga Carmona through on the overlap, who fired her shot past
Spain
.
England need to be on top form to avoid getting exploited by the likes of Caldentey and Clàudia Pina in
Basel
.
But equally,
Hemp has the speed to get in behind the back line, while James has the skill to frustrate the Spanish players.
MIDFIELD
PRESSURE
England midfielders
Georgia
Stanway faced a huge amount of pressure when the Lionesses faced
France
in their opening match of the tournament.
As a result, they struggled to play through the middle when moving forward and were forced into mistakes of which the French players capitalised on.
There was a huge improvement in the following match against
Holland
, with the midfielders applying more pressure as opposed to absorbing it which led to England attacking more
freely
.
However, the Spanish midfield will be relentless in the final.
Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas are two of the best players in the world, and Patri Guijarro has been one of the most consistently brilliant stars at Euro 2025 this
summer
.
If they dominate possession, and keep Walsh marked out when they don't have the ball, Spain will completely overrun the middle.
Three key battles in Basel
SUNSPORT'S Jack Rosser runs through where the final will be won and lost.
Alessia Russo v Irene Paredes
Russo has just the one goal at Euro 2025 before but will be looking to beat a Spanish defence which is yet to concede in the knockout stages in Switzerland.
They are led by skipper Paredes, who will have to work hard to keep track of Russo.
Keira Walsh v Aitana Bonmati
Two former Barcelona teammates come face-to-face in midfield as Walsh looks to dominate the woman whose goal booked Spain's place in the final.
It will not be an easy task, with Bonmati having claimed the Ballon d'Or Feminin for the past two years.
Leah Williamson v Esther Gonzalez
The England skipper will have to keep a handle on the tournament's top scorer if the Lionesses are to upset the odds.
There have been concerns over a ropey defence throughout the Euros, but Williamson has the knowhow to steer sides through major finals.
TACTICAL BATTLE
Spain almost found themselves exposed by
Germany
in their semi-final on Wednesday.
La Roja played with a high press against the Germans, with the last defenders almost on the halfway line.
Germany
hit them with a long ball on several occasions in the match and came very close to scoring.
Klara Bühl especially was a huge threat on the left against Carmona.
Had
Germany
made the most of those chances, it could have been them facing England tonight.
There is a good chance we will see another tactical change from Wiegman late in the match when she pulls the trigger on the all-important substitutions.
Against
Italy
, winger
Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang formed a strike partnership and
When a goal is needed, anything goes.
FRESH LEGS
England's 'finishers' - the term they use instead of substitutes - have been crucial in the nation's journey to the Euro 2025 final.
Chloe
Kelly came on to set up the two goals that drew England level with
Sweden
in the quarter-finals, with Michelle Agyemang scoring late equalisers in the quarters and semi-finals.
Let's not forget, Kelly also came off the bench to net the winner against
Germany
in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.
The substitutes can make all the difference, and the Lionesses have incredible strength in depth with the likes of Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton and Jess Park among the players on the bench.
However, Spain also have some fantastic players at their disposal among the substitutes.
Montse Tomé brought Athenea del Castillo and Salma Paralluelo on against Germany on Wednesday, with the likes of Vicky López and Alba Redondo also available.