1 week ago
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Sam MarsdenJul 22, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí and Patri Guijarro are thing of an instauration successful Barcelona's midfield, but for antithetic reasons they person been incapable to harvester for Spain arsenic they person done for their club. The signs astatine Euro 2025 this summertime suggest it's yet changing, though that volition beryllium enactment to the trial connected Wednesday against Germany successful Zurich arsenic the satellite champions purpose to scope the European Championship last for the archetypal clip successful their history.
Key to Spain's chances of advancement -- and a first-ever triumph implicit a Germany broadside who bushed them successful past year's bronze medal lucifer astatine the Olympic Games -- volition beryllium their midfield. Putellas, Bonmatí and Guijarro person won countless trophies alongside each different astatine Barça but, remarkably, earlier this tourney began they had each started unneurotic successful conscionable 2 of Spain's past 21 matches astatine the World Cup, Euros and Olympics.
At the 2019 World Cup, nary of them were bona fide starters. In 2022, astatine the Euros, Putellas tore her ACL connected the eve of the tournament. Guijarro sat retired the 2023 World Cup successful protestation astatine the moving conditions provided by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) astatine the time. Last year, astatine the Olympics, she returned, but has spoken of not feeling wholly herself astatine the tourney arsenic manager Montse Tomé picked the trio arsenic her midfield successful conscionable 2 of Spain's six outings.
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It concisely looked similar they would beryllium kept isolated this summer, too, erstwhile Bonmatí was hospitalised with viral meningitis conscionable days earlier the finals. She made a speedy recovery, though, and portion she was a substitute successful the archetypal 2 radical games, she's started the past 2 matches alongside Putellas and Guijarro. She was named MVP successful the quarterfinal triumph implicit Switzerland. All 4 MVP awards from Spain's games person gone to 1 of their midfield trio: Putellas against Portugal and Belgium, and Guijarro against Italy.
With Bonmatí not 100%, it was Putellas who superbly guided Spain done the radical stage. After 2 years of wounded problems, she came into the Euros connected the backmost of a stellar play with Barça. She says she is simply a "better Alexia" for each that she has been done and, connected apical of that, feels she has an outstanding indebtedness with the tourney fixed however she cruelly missed the past finals with that ACL tear.
"If anyone is up for it, it's [Putellas]," Barça and Spain defender Jana Fernández told ESPN. "We are each ace motivated, but Alexia adjacent much truthful aft what happened earlier the past Euros -- and she is showing it.
"She contributes truthful overmuch to the squad connected and disconnected the pitch. She's surrounded by the champion to beryllium capable to amusement 100% of what she's susceptible of connected the pitch. I anticipation she keeps going due to the fact that what's bully for her is bully for Spain."
Putellas, 31, contributed 3 goals and 4 assists successful the radical stage. The assistance for Athenea del Castillo against Italy and the deft decorativeness against Belgium were the prime of the bunch, though she was not capable to interruption Switzerland down. That, coupled with a quiescent showing successful Barça's Champions League last nonaccomplishment to Arsenal, whitethorn rise questions astir whether she genuinely is backmost to her pre-injury best, which she volition beryllium keen to reply against Germany. There is nary uncertainty among her teammates, though.
"She has that spark that makes her a difference-maker," Monterrey and Spain's Lucía García told ESPN. "I americium blown distant each clip I americium with her doing thing because, for me, her imaginativeness of the crippled is the champion successful the world. I emotion playing with her due to the fact that she reads situations that astir nary 1 other sees. For me, arsenic a forward, that is brilliant."
Putellas has created a tourney precocious 18 chances truthful far, which helps explicate wherefore Spain person scored 16 goals successful their 4 games. Bonmatí has besides created five, despite, overmuch to her frustration, having to commencement from the seat successful each of the archetypal 2 matches owed to her pre-tournament illness.
Tomé said she had to "put the brakes" connected her astatine first, but they are disconnected present and Bonmatí knows that if each of Spain's parts are astatine their champion individually, it volition beryllium hard for anyone to bushed them.
"Right now, I americium 100% focused connected giving the champion of myself to service the team," she told ESPN. "I judge that if we each springiness the champion of ourselves and enactment ourselves astatine the work of the team, that's erstwhile this squad performs astatine an unstoppable level."
It helps erstwhile you person players similar the reigning Ballon d'Or, Bonmatí, susceptible of producing a infinitesimal of brilliance similar her backmost bottommost to acceptable up Del Castillo and yet interruption the absorption of hosts Switzerland successful the quarterfinal.
Between them, Putellas and Bonmatí person shared the past 4 Ballon d'Or awards, winning 2 each. Guijarro, who sits astatine the basal of the midfield down them, often receives little recognition. That is dilatory changing, mind, arsenic she yet feels comfy again successful the Spain broadside aft admitting she wasn't astatine her champion erstwhile she archetypal returned for the Olympics past year.
"There was a spell coming backmost into the squad that was not casual for her, she had been distant for a portion and her instrumentality has been progressive, but present she's good," Tomé told ESPN. "For me, she's the champion successful her presumption successful the world. It's not an casual role, you don't get overmuch recognition, but her humble and hard-working property allows those up of her to play with much freedom."
Guijarro, who similar Bonmatí should beryllium astatine her highest aged 27, is truthful often the starting constituent for Spain's attacks. She has completed a tourney precocious 292 passes -- and 190 of them person been into the opposition's half.
"I would accidental it's truly casual playing with Patri, but besides analyzable astatine the aforesaid time," Barça and Spain midfielder Vicky López said. "She plays passes that lone she sees, truthful sometimes you're not adjacent expecting them. She doesn't marque casual passes. She ever passes forward, with precision. There is meaning to each walk she plays.
"She is 1 of the champion players successful the satellite and is underrated. She's the basal of the team, the 1 that makes things tick and ensures we each nutrient our best. If you ticker Patri for the full game, it volition marque you smile. Maybe she doesn't enactment connected arsenic overmuch of a amusement arsenic others, but if you absorption connected her, you spot it."
Guijarro tin besides present successful the last third, arsenic her extremity against Italy showed, but Spain's midfield trio present look their biggest trial yet. Italy (13) are the highest-ranked squad they had faced astatine the finals truthful far. Belgium (20), Portugal (22) and Switzerland (23) person besides been beaten. Germany fertile 3rd successful the world, person won 8 Euros antecedently and person ne'er mislaid to Spain.
"I person immense respect for Germany," Bonmatí added. "If you look astatine the past of the European Championship, they person 8 nether their belt, truthful the unit is connected them.
"A twelvemonth ago, we mislaid to them and we near Paris without a medal aft I don't cognize however galore days there. For a squad and players similar us, it's frustrating -- positive we've ne'er beaten Germany. So it's a caller accidental to marque history."
