advertisement
Mikel Oyarzabal came off the bench and scored the winning goal in the 86th minute to help Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in the Olympia stadium late on Sunday night.
England played it safe from the outset, defending deep from the kick-off, while the Spanish side dominated possession. However, Spain couldn't find a way past England's defence and missed a few chances in the final third.
There weren't many goal-scoring opportunities in the first half. John Stones blocked a promising effort from Nico Williams, while the first clear-cut chance fell to England when Phil Foden tested Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon from a tight angle in the dying seconds of the first half.
Luis de la Fuente's team increased the pressure and should have scored more goals to extend their lead, but Dani Olmo narrowly missed, while John Stones blocked another shot from Alvaro Morata before Williams also missed. Gareth Southgate responded to Spain's pressure by making two substitutions, bringing on Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins.
Despite the equalizer, England retreated and handed control to Spain, who set up their pass play and created chances. In the 82nd minute, Pickford was on guard against Yamal, but he was helpless moments later.
As well as being the Euro record champions with the fourth title, Spain is the first team to win all seven tournament matches, beating Italy, Germany, France and England along the way.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)