Spain found the crucial winning goal in the 86th minute of the Euro 2024 final to deny England and clinch another major trophy. Nico Williams opened the scoring with a wonderfully clinical finish in the 47th minute, only for England substitute Cole Palmer to equaliser in thrilling fashion in the 73rd. But Mikel Oyarzabal pounced with four minutes remaining as Spain left Berlin with a fourth Euros.
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Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal came off the bench to fire Spain to a record fourth European Championship victory with a merited 2-1 Euro 2024 final win over a battling but limited England side in Berlin.
Oyarzabal slid home the winner from Marc Cucurella’s pass on 86 minutes to consign Gareth Southgate’s England to a second successive heartbreaking defeat in European finals after their Euro 2020 penalty loss to Italy at Wembley.
After a forgettable first half, Spain moved up several gears with Nico Williams slotting the opener on 47 minutes from a lovely Yamine Lamal pass.
Despite Harry Kane toiling before being replaced by Ollie Watkins in second half, England never stopped fighting with Cole Palmer stroking home a fine equaliser from 22 yards on 73 minutes only moments after coming on for Kobbie Mainoo, but it was ultimately rendered futile.
While Spain celebrate seven straight wins in the finals as the tournament’s outstanding team, England’s 58-year wait for a major trophy continues as the inquest into another failure begins.
TALKING POINT: WHAT NOW FOR ENGLAND UNDER GARETH SOUTHGATE?
England have certainly made progress under Gareth Southgate since he took on the role of national manager in 2016, but they cannot really argue with their latest setback in losing the final of Euro 2024 to a better, more progressive side.
After edging Serbia by a goal, and drawing with Denmark and Slovenia in winning Group C in unconvincing fashion, they needed a last-gasp wonder goal from Jude Bellingham to avoid defeat to Slovakia in the last 16, required penalties to overcome Switzerland in the last eight and benefited from a poor decision by VAR in earning a penalty in their 2-1 win over Netherlands in the last four.
There is little doubt that England carried some luck on the field and in the draw in the knockout phase, but their stodgy approach caught up with them in the end.
Unless England learn to play more expansive football and keep better possession of the football, these sort of regretful nights at Berlin’s Olympiastadion will not disappear in the near future. Whether under Southgate or a new manager.
“We didn’t keep possession of the ball well enough,” conceded Southgate. “They had more control of the game, and that can wear you down a bit.
“As always in these games it is fine margins, but I think they were the best team in the tournament and overall they deserved to win.”
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: NICO WILLIAMS (SPAIN)
Spain were reeling from losing Manchester City midfielder Rodri at half-time, but that setback merely seemed to inspire them as Williams scored within moments of the restart with a brilliant finish.
In truth, Spain could easily have finished off the final before Palmer equalised as they cut open England at will with Williams and his fellow vibrant winger Lamal, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Saturday, very much to the fore throughout the second half.
In the final analysis, England just did not possess the same level of quality in the key areas as Luis de la Fuente’s impressive European champions, who also claimed the title in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
PLAYER RATINGS
England: Pickford 8; Guehi 6, Stones 6, Walker 6; Saka 6, Mainoo 6, Rice 6, Shaw 6; Bellingham 6, Foden 6; Kane 6 Subs: Toney 6, Watkins 6, Palmer 7
Spain: Simon 7; Carvajal 7, Le Normand 7, Laporte 7, Cucurella 7; Ruiz 7, Rodri 6; Olmo 7, Williams 8, Yamal 8; Morata 6 Subs: Nacho 6, Zubimendi 7, Oyarzabal 7, Merino 7
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
47′ GOAL! (WILLIAMS) SPAIN
1-0 ENGLAND Brilliant play by the two wingers. Yamal with a super pass to Williams and he slams the shot low and hard into the net arriving late in the box with Walker nowhere to be seen in marking him. No chance for Pickford. Lovely finish. We have a goal in the final.
49′ CHANCE FOR A RAPID SECOND GOAL Some more stunning play by Spain as Williams picks out Olmo, who turns but mishits a shot wide of goal. Spain right at it so far in this second half. Could easily have been a second for the Spanish.
73′ GOAL! SPAIN 1-1 ENGLAND (PALMER) And England have a quickfire equaliser from Palmer. Brilliant finish. Saka to Bellingham and the pass to Palmer is guided into the corner of the net. 1-1. Game on. Supreme finish from 22 yards out.
83′ PICKFORD TO THE RESCUE FOR ENGLAND Brilliant passing play by Spain to cut open the white shirts. Williams so, so dangerous. Ball breaks to Yamal, whose shot is repelled well by Pickford. Was a decent height for the England ‘keeper. Straight at him.
86′ GOAL! (OYARZABAL) SPAIN 2-1 ENGLAND Sub Mikel Oyarzabal arrives in time to slide the ball into the net from the Cucurella pass. So, so slick. Lovely goal from Spain under Pickford. Is that the winning goal? They lead 2-1 in the final.
89’ SPAIN CLEARING OFF THEIR LINE Simon blocks the header by Rice before the header by Guéhi is off the line by Olmo and Rice then nods over. So, so close to an equaliser for England late on. Four minutes added in Berlin.
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