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The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
England v Spain: where the Women's Euro 2025 final could be won or lost
Spain's domination in the middle of the park, in and out of possession, is what contributed significantly to their victory over England at the World Cup in 2023. The trio of Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro are very technical and comfortable on the ball and create midfield rotations. Guijarro is instrumental, allowing the other two to make their runs and finding the passes to cut through defensive lines. In the semi-final against Germany, she completed more passes than anyone else. How England set up their midfield will be crucial. Their Nations League victory in February was down in large part to the selfless work rate of Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Keira Walsh, who at times had to sacrifice the creative aspects of the game to close the midfield spaces, cut off the passing triangles that Spain love and prevent them from having free rein to roam through the thirds. The left side of England's defence has been targeted throughout the tournament. Remember Delphine Cascarino for France, Stina Blackstenius and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd for Sweden and Sofia Cantore for Italy. England have not looked comfortable there, no matter who has been selected to start. Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey will be licking their lips at the prospect of imposing themselves early on Alex Greenwood and whoever is chosen at left centre-back. England tend to be caught high in that area and will need to be extremely disciplined and perhaps sit a little deeper to stop themselves being exposed to the pace of Spain. It also raises the question about whether Sarina Wiegman could start with a three at the back to try to add more protection and pack their box with numbers when Spain break. Spain 2 England 1, 3 June 2025, Barcelona England were knocked out of the Nations League after going ahead through Alessia Russo in the 21st minute. In the second half, Spain's Clàudia Pina made an instant impact from the bench, scoring two minutes after coming on, then doubled her tally 10 minutes later as Spain secured victory in the 70th minute. The Lionesses would have qualified for the semi-finals at Spain's expense with a win. England 1 Spain 0, 26 Feb 2025, London A Wembley crowd of 46,550 watched England defeat Spain in the teams' first meeting since the World Cup final, in Nations League A Group 3. Jess Park's 33rd-minute goal secured victory for the Lionesses. Lucía García's first-half attempt that rattled the crossbar and second-half chances for the winger Salma Paralluelo were the highlights of Spain's attacking play but England held on. Spain 1 England 0, 20 August 2023, Sydney Spain became world champions with a dominant performance. Lauren Hemp hit the bar from outside of the box early on but that was the pinnacle of England's first-half chances and Olga Carmona ensured Spain went into the break ahead with a clinical finish past Mary Earps. Earps produced a fantastic 70th-minute penalty save from Jenni Hermoso and made further saves to keep England in the game but Spain deserved their win. Eze Obasi It is unlikely England will see much of the ball, either by design or by Spain's sheer ability to dominate possession. Therefore, the Lionesses must make sure they take their opportunities when they fall. One ways to do this is to bypass midfield and set players such as Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp away with crossfield passes and by going route one over the top. In Hannah Hampton, they possess one of the best distributors in the goalkeeping game. Her pass to Russo in England's second match took out 95% of the Netherlands team for Lauren James' opener and she is constantly hitting Lucy Bronze and Greenwood on the sidelines as she sets off England's attacking play. Equally, Leah Williamson is one of the best ball-playing centre-backs and has registered the most accurate long balls per 90 of anyone in the competition. Hemp against Batlle will be an eye-catching contest down England's left. Both are lightning quick; in fact, Batlle has registered the tournament's highest top speed at 30.5 km/h. Spain's right-back likes to push high, which Hemp will have to be aware of defensively, but it is a strong option for England to hit on the transition and exploit the space left in behind. Irene Paredes and Russo know each other very well having come face-to-face in this year's Champions League final. Russo's intelligence and energy in the press are among her strongest assets and she closed down Paredes exceptionally throughout. The Spain defender loves time on the ball and is the most accurate passer in the competition. The England forward can break through at pace, something Spain have not looked altogether comfortable with. Equallyat the other end the new defensive unit of Williamson and either Esme Morgan or Jess Carter will have to be alert to deal with the direct threat of Esther González. One more to keep an eye on is Walsh v Bonmatí in midfield – two players who know each other's strengths and weaknesses well. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion England's squad depth has been the talk of the tournament. The options Wiegman has at her disposal give her a variety of ways to change a game. Michelle Agyemang has caught the headlines with two late goals from the bench that have arguably kept the Lionesses in the competition. Chloe Kelly is a big impact player whose delivery from wide areas is second to none and Aggie Beever-Jones is one of the most instinctive finishers. It is also the versatility of the players that serves Wiegman well; their ability to do a job wherever needed. Beth Mead played in every midfield position after coming on fo James against Italy and applied herself with aptitude. Montse Tomé has finishers of her own. Athenea del Castillo has come on twice to change a match, scoring against Switzerland and setting up Bonmatí's extra-time winner against Germany. Salma Paralluelo is another who has that ability, hitting tired defences with her pace late on.
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
Former world champion backs Garner-Bellotti to emulate his own ‘war' in Bournemouth
Former WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith says it will be a 'great fight' between Ryan Garner and Reece Bellotti at his old stomping ground this weekend, predicting the Bournemouth International Centre to see another 'war' like his own fight against Isaac Chamberlain. Just like Billam-Smith's scrap with Chamberlain, both the European and Commonwealth titles will be on the line between Garner and Bellotti. Whilst perhaps lacking the pound-for-pound power cruiserweights boast, 'CBS' backs the two super featherweights to put on a dramatic show at the BIC, which will be shown live on DAZN. Bournemouth's hometown hero told The Independent: 'It's a great fight. Actually, I know Reece (Bellotti) quite well, as well (as Ryan Garner). He won the ABAs the year I was in it, but he actually won two ABA titles in the end. 'Very entertaining fighter, nice lad, lovely lad, exciting. 'Ryan's obviously an exciting fighter. I think they're very similar in the sense of their work rate and excitement. They always throw lots of shots, big shots, and I think the difference might just be that Ryan's a little bit more well-polished. 'An exciting fight for the fans – they are going to be in for a treat. I think this would be similar to my fight against (Issac) Chamberlain, in terms of the drama and how entertaining the fight will be.' Coming up to the three-year anniversary of the Chamberlain contest, Billam-Smith was still grateful for the opportunity to fight at the BIC, praising members of his team for finally getting a card staged at the venue. He restarted: 'I'm the person who's boxed there, but my team fought tooth and nail to get a show down to Bournemouth, and then obviously, Ben Shalom and BOXXER eventually did it with the Chamberlain fight and that was it. 'I think there's a lot of thank-yous to a lot of people that are to thank for that happening. Yes, I was the fighter, but the McGuigan family pushed really hard, especially Jake McGuigan. 'He put in so much work and promised that it would be a show. Then it was down to me and Isaac to do what we did. We were lucky that week with the weather. 'It's coming up to three years ago now, it will be this time next week, where we were all on the beach, weighing-in and whatnot. 'I think Jake did so much work and just pushed and pushed to get me down here, which is what we wanted for years.' Professional boxing returned to the BIC for the first time 34 years when Billam-Smith headlined a card in his hometown, taking on fellow Brit Chamberlain in defence of his European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles. What followed was an all-out war between the two 200-pounders, with the second round in particular a topsy-turvy slugfest. Billam-Smith did more than enough, all three judges scoring the contest 117-111, but combined the two boxers put on a proper show. Since then, boxing has become a staple at Bournemouth's premier venue, with Queensberry following BOXXER in organising shows at the BIC. Billam-Smith continued: 'Then obviously me and Isaac as well, putting on the fight we did. 'With the fans, I think that if that fight had been a messy fight or one that wasn't entertaining, it might not have been as good, it might not have been a buzz that we've had every time since. "The fans as well turned up and put on a show. So there's so many ingredients that go into it, but yes, I a bit of pride, a bit of honour that I'm involved in that, as one of the pieces of the puzzle, which makes it such a great place to box and continue to have shows at.' Having won his world title against Lawrence Okolie at the home stadium of his beloved AFC Bournemouth, Billam-Smith admitted that perhaps he had outgrown the BIC, which holds around 3,200 for boxing events. 'I think so,' 'The Gentleman' responded when asked if the BIC was too small for his fanbase. 'I think it kind of is the case. I mean, it sounds crazy to say - I've seen Oasis at that venue! It's mad to think. 'I mean, last time I boxed there against Masternak, it sold out four weeks early. 'So that shows how much it's grown and how much the fans are behind me down here. We've done the stadium as well, so that was a special night. 'It does seem that the venues down here, well the indoor venue that we have, the BIC is a bit small at the moment. 'Never say never, I could fight there again one day. But I mean, it's very nice to have that problem but at the same time, the stadium, you can't fight at the stadium every three to three to six months either. So it can be difficult.' Whilst Billam-Smith won't be returning to the ring on Saturday night, he will be in attendance at ringside in support of his friend, Garner, and is anticipating an electric atmosphere at the BIC. Having recently travelled to Madison Square Garden in support of gymmate Ellie Scotney earlier this month, 'CBS' believes that Bournemouth's boxing home may even rival the noise made at the historic venue, even if it is far smaller. He shared: 'Well, I was at the Mecca of boxing in Madison Square Garden a few weekends ago - the BIC's a little bit smaller, but the atmosphere is very similar, I will say that! 'But it's amazing. You can see the value in coming down to the coast, putting on shows at the BIC. We didn't realise it until we did it, but it's built for boxing. It really is. It's built for an amazing atmosphere, and that's what it gives you every time. 'I was there in March for Ryan's fight as a fan. Just a spectator, which was an absolute honour and pleasure to be that side of the ropes and just enjoy it for once. 'I had no ties to the show, I know Ryan and wanted him to win, but I wasn't watching my gymmates, where I'm a bit more nervous. 'I just got to be there and enjoy the atmosphere which I once boxed in, and see it on the other side, which is a real honour for me. 'Yes, I was the first one to do it, it's nice and we've done so many great nights there and I love that venue - I loved it before I boxed there. 'So even more so now, the nights I've had there, with the (Issac) Chamberlain war, the (Armend) Xhoxaj knockout, the (Mateusz) Masternak comeback. All those fights they've all been epic in their own right. 'It's great to see other shows there and I'm looking forward to going again on Saturday, then seeing another great atmosphere and seeing the show.' DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Two Premier League giants 'REJECT chance to sign PSG star amid Man United interest - as asking price is revealed'
Manchester United may be forced to feed on the transfer market scraps that their Premier League rivals turned their noses up at. Ruben Amorim is keen to sign another striker but with a limited budget he will likely have to make a sale first, with Rasmus Hojlund on the chopping block. Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani is on United's shortlist but it has emerged that Chelsea and Arsenal said no when offered him, according to ESPN. Chelsea preferred Liam Delap and Joao Pedro while Arsenal are said to have held no interest in the wantaway Frenchman. United have missed out on three major targets now as Delap signed for Chelsea, Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool, and Viktor Gyokeres nears a £64million switch to Arsenal. Kolo Muani is an option and ESPN reports that they could either sign him on loan with an obligation to buy, or pay £44m for him now. PSG signed Kolo Muani for £77m two years ago but he has only scored 11 goals for them and spent the latter half of last season on loan at Juventus. He perked up in Italy and returned to the type of form we saw at Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring 10 goals in 22 games for the Old Lady. Kolo Muani was born in the Paris suburb of Bondy before progressing through the Nantes youth system and signing for Frankfurt in 2022. It was there where he became a continental star, scoring 23 goals in the 2022-23 season and playing in the World Cup final for France. United showed interest in the forward back in the summer of 2023, but ultimately opted to sign Rasmus Hojlund instead. However, they face competition from Newcastle, who are also in the market for a striker due to Alexander Isak wanting to leave. Man United have already strengthened their forward line this summer by agreeing a £71m deal for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo and signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m. Going the other way, they have whisked Marcus Rashford out on loan to Barcelona, who he could join for £40m at the end of the season. Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, and Antony are also expected to leave the club to help fund new signings.
