Euro 2025 final preview: England vs. Spain, tactics, players, prediction

After a agelong period of continental contention stretching from 1 extremity of Switzerland to the other, Euro 2025 is acceptable to reason connected Sunday successful Basel, wherever Spain volition instrumentality connected England successful a repetition of the 2023 World Cup final.

The paths these 2 teams person taken done the tourney successful Switzerland are starkly different. Spain were successful the pugnacious broadside of the knockout bracket, but eased past the hosts and eight-time winners Germany. England, meanwhile, person struggled, going down to Sweden and Italy earlier needing unthinkable comebacks with the assistance of their super-subs to grind retired the precocious results needed to equine a defence of their trophy.

Who volition look victorious connected Sunday? How volition the lucifer unfold? ESPN asked the 2 writers who person followed these teams astir intimately passim Euro 2025: Tom Hamilton and Sam Marsden.

Why could England win?

There were astatine slightest 3 times successful this tourney wherever England's run looked doomed. They were outplayed successful their opening crippled against France (a 2-1 loss) but bounced backmost against Netherlands (4-0) and Wales (6-1). They were dominated by Sweden, lone to haul it backmost successful the last 11 mins from 2-0 down and borderline a chaotic punishment shootout to someway get through. Then they were 1 infinitesimal from elimination against Italy earlier the super-subs saved the time again. So they've got luck connected their side.

This is manager Sarina Wiegman's 5th large tourney last successful a enactment -- it's an unbelievable record. And England besides cognize what it takes to bushed the champions, having prevailed 1-0 successful February (admittedly against a Spain squad minus a fewer cardinal players). That time was the genesis of "proper England" mentality, which has guided them done this tournament. It was a dogged, carnal and resilient show arsenic England soaked up the unit and past attacked with venom.

In short, if they tin resistance this lucifer into an arm-wrestle, they'll win. -- Hamilton

Why could Spain win?

Spain are the squad with the clearest individuality and the astir talented players successful the tournament. If their combinations successful the last 3rd click, it volition beryllium precise hard for England to halt them. Midfielders Patri Guijarro and Aitana Bonmatí person been magnificent successful the knockout rounds, and, portion Alexia Putellas hasn't been arsenic good, she was sensational successful the radical stages.

It is not conscionable those three, either. Spain besides person the tournament's apical extremity scorer successful Esther González and attackers Clàudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, Athenea del Castillo and Salma Paralluelo each acceptable to lend arsenic well. If determination is anticipation for England, it is that Switzerland and Germany some did a comparatively bully occupation of shutting down Spain, who don't truly person a Plan B, successful spells. The occupation is some were yet worn down by La Roja's relentless waves of attacks. -- Marsden

Who deserves the trophy more: Sarina Wiegman oregon Montse Tomé?

If the last goes to signifier and is simply a practice of play during the tournament, past Spain and Tomé merit it. If you're looking for the Hollywood ending to this ridiculous roller-coaster movie, past Wiegman does. Overall, for the sheer play her squad has brought america present successful Switzerland, and for the last-minute rewrites, gasps and groans, it has to beryllium Wiegman. -- Hamilton

Tomé inactive has critics contempt taking Spain to the final. For some, she volition ever beryllium associated with the erstwhile authorities arsenic Jorge Vilda's adjunct earlier taking his job. Jenni Hermoso, near retired of the squad, said earlier the tourney that if Spain bash triumph the trophy it volition beryllium "in spite of Tomé, not due to the fact that of her." With each that successful mind, it's hard to accidental which manager deserves it more, but I surely deliberation Tomé volition beryllium nether much pressure. If Spain autumn short, she is apt to instrumentality the brunt of the blasted for not getting this talented squad implicit the enactment successful their archetypal Euros final. -- Marsden

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Should Kelly and Agyemang commencement for England successful Euro 2025 final?

The Futbol Women's unit sermon if Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang should commencement for England successful the Euro 2025 final.

England subordinate to watch

When England request the match-saving oregon tournament-winning moments, Chloe Kelly steps forward. She could yet commencement from the outset connected Sunday depending connected Lauren James' fitness. Kelly scored the victor successful the Euro 2022 final, netted the winning punishment successful the 2023 Finalissima implicit Brazil and against Nigeria astatine the 2023 World Cup, and has helped prevention England doubly astatine these Euros.

First her interaction forced the 2 goals against Sweden, and past she scored the victor from the spot precocious connected against Italy. Whatever happens connected Sunday, Kelly volition person immoderate relation successful the narrative. -- Hamilton

Spain subordinate to watch

All eyes volition beryllium connected the accustomed candidates (the astir evident being Bonmatí, the reigning Ballon d'Or), but that could erstwhile again play into Pina's hands. She is successful affluent form. She scored the 2 goals erstwhile Spain bushed England successful the UEFA Nations League successful June and has netted 2 of her trademark golazos astatine these finals, coming successful from the near and bending into the apical corner. "When she drives wrong and sets up similar that, planting her near ft ... we deliberation it's going in," Tomé said aft Pina's Switzerland strike. -- Marsden

Prediction?

England 1-0 Spain. England's communicative present has been wild. It's a flip of a coin betwixt them losing by a mates of goals, oregon someway battling done to a 1-0 win. They're the "Jekyll and Hyde" Lionesses astatine the moment. But connected balance, there's thing astir this squad and this ridiculous tourney they've crushed their mode through. I'm blessed to admit this could beryllium woefully misguided, but I'm going for a 1-0 England win. -- Hamilton

England 0-2 Spain. Spain person played amended shot than England passim the tourney and I expect that signifier to continue. It was not straightforward against Switzerland and Germany, with England different measurement up from those sides, but I deliberation they volition emergence to the challenge. I'll spell for a 2-0 Spain win, the 2nd arriving precocious arsenic England propulsion for different comeback. -- Marsden

TACTICAL PREVIEW

by Yash Thakur

In what promises to beryllium different epic last betwixt the 2 sides, present is simply a look astatine 5 tactical areas that could determine the game.

Spain's midfield maestros

Spain support a monopoly connected the ball, keeping implicit 66% of possession successful each their games truthful far. Their midfield is the golden modular and the Barcelona trio of Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas are each acceptable and firing. The 3 harvester truly well, accounting for 29% of Spain's full passes during the tourney truthful acold astatine a completion complaint of 86%. They person besides created 48 of Spain's 90 chances.

Guijarro screens the backline portion besides helping determination the shot forward; Putellas and Bonmatí are much progressive successful the last phases and front-foot defending. This operation allows Spain to make chances, power possession and support absorption attacks.

No subordinate astatine Euro 2025 has created much chances than Putellas (18), and nary subordinate has recorded much progressive passes than Guijarro (60), portion Bonmatí ranks 4th successful presumption of carries into the container (9). These players are each successful the apical 3 successful these metrics connected a per 90-minute ground arsenic good (minimum of 3 games played).

Limiting their touches connected the shot oregon marking them closely, similar Germany did with their 4-5-1 formation, could beryllium 1 mode of reducing Spain's effectiveness.

Spain's pressing and counter-pressing

A cardinal constituent of Tomé's tactics for Spain is the pressing and counter-pressing. The satellite champions presumption arsenic galore arsenic six oregon 7 players successful adjacent proximity successful the last 3rd of the pitch, which allows them to situation for the shot portion having aggregate bodies successful the vicinity to mop up possession.

Tomé's 4-4-2 off-ball signifier intimately marks absorption players during the buildup phase, reducing their passing options and forcing them into errors oregon risky passes. Spain effort to contradict them clip and chopped passing lanes, resulting successful debased completion complaint during the buildup phases.

Indeed, 18.3% of the full attempted passes against Spain person been agelong balls, third-highest stock down France (21%) and Sweden (18.5%). However, the occurrence complaint connected these passes is the lowest (37%).

Spain's proactiveness results successful errors astatine the backmost and opponents person committed 13 errors starring to shots this summer. This isn't large quality for England, arsenic they person already committed 8 errors starring to shots astatine the tournament, the astir of immoderate team.

England's crossing

Crossing has been 1 of England's go-to moves astatine Euro 2025. The defending champions person attempted the astir crosses of immoderate broadside truthful acold (152), and their 51 crosses against Italy successful the semifinals was a single-game grounds since Euro 2013.

Left-back Alex Greenwood (32), winger Lauren Hemp (29) and winger Chloe Kelly (29) are each successful the apical six players successful presumption of crosses astatine the tournament. Hemp has enactment successful 28 of her 29 from unfastened play, the astir of immoderate player, portion Kelly has yet to commencement a crippled but has attempted 20 successful her past 2 impactful substitute appearances against Italy and Sweden.

England person created chances from the deliveries, though not successful the astir businesslike manner. No broadside scored much headed goals than England astatine the tourney (3 -- tied with Sweden), portion their 17 headed shots are the astir by immoderate team. But their changeable procreation complaint is suboptimal: The Lionesses person generated a changeable each ninth transverse they attempt, and person lacked a menace successful the container astir times.

Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute equalizer against Italy successful the semifinals and some of England's comeback goals against Sweden successful the quarterfinals stemmed from a corner. Only Italy striker Cristiana Girelli (19) has won much aerial duels than England right-back Lucy Bronze (14) and guardant Alessia Russo (13).

With the assertive positioning of Spanish full-backs successful their 4-3-3 formation, determination is ample abstraction connected connection for the Lionesses successful these wide areas and they could look to make opportunities from these situations.

Wiegman's in-game changes

Euro 2025 has seen Wiegman's tactical tweaks instrumentality connected a caller signifier during a game. A alternatively rigid fig successful her erstwhile 4 large tournaments, the Dutch manager has adapted immoderate in-game solutions portion remaining accordant with her starting XI, and called connected the likes of Agyemang and Kelly to prevention things from the seat precocious on.

Indeed, her midgame tweaks person seen England's signifier spell from a 4-2-3-1, to a 3-5-2, to a 4-2-4. These changes person allowed the Lionesses to onslaught successful numbers, turning power into manufactured chaos, and Wiegman's substitutions person fixed immoderate of the existing issues successful her starting XI, specified arsenic the deficiency of menace successful the container from crosses.

In their semifinal against Italy, England had 5 attackers connected the transportation aft the 85th infinitesimal and Agyemang pounced to drawback the equalizer aft chaos successful the box. Against Sweden, the power to a backmost 3 with Esme Morgan's substitution allowed them to person 2 strikers occupying the center-backs. That alteration besides allowed Bronze, 1 of their biggest aerial threats, to onslaught the box, which resulted successful the archetypal extremity of the comeback.

Some whitethorn accidental Wiegman has near it excessively late, and that they got lucky, but well-timed changes are portion of the crushed wherefore England person the astir goals via substitutes astatine the tourney (5), with Agyemang starring the battalion (2). Her tactical astuteness has enhanced England's menace erstwhile chasing games by sacrificing immoderate control, and this could beryllium a differential origin successful the final.

Spain's attacking depth

La Roja person prime crossed their squad, with aggregate Ballon d'Or winners and aggregate Champions League winners connected the transportation astatine each times. Spain person scored the astir goals full (17), astir goals from wrong and extracurricular the container (14 and 3, respectively) and astir goals from corners (4) astatine the tournament.

Their attacking players besides connection variety, making it hard for the absorption to prime a antiaircraft scheme. Esther González offers container awareness, runs successful down and tenacity; Salma Paralluelo offers explosiveness and speed; portion Cristina Martín-Prieto adds aerial ability. On the flanks, Athenea del Castillo brings the dribbling quality and nonstop running, portion Clàudia Pina and Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey are nimble-footed operators successful choky spaces.

As a result, Spain's extremity scoring and accidental instauration are dispersed among the squad. NWSL's starring extremity scorer González has the astir goals (4), portion Putellas tops the assists illustration (4). Spain person 4 players with aggregate goals astatine the tournament, the associated astir by immoderate broadside (with England.)

England whitethorn usage super-subs, but Real Madrid's Del Castillo has besides been 1 astatine the tournament, registering a extremity and an assistance disconnected the seat successful each knockout crippled truthful far. Her savvy operation play astatine the borderline of the container has enabled Spain to disrupt opposition's settled blocks. And if thing works, Pina has the quality to rip a thunderbolt changeable from the borderline of the box.

How England's backline deals with these varied attacking threats volition surely beryllium important.