By OkayGoal 
The 2023 World Cup Final is now a rematch in the 2025 Euro Final. England and Spain have proven they are in their golden eras, respectively, by making the finals in back-to-back major FIFA competitions. Can England repeat as European champions, or will Spain do so for the first time in their history? The viewership for this game is expected to break records; the whole world will be watching. England’s run has been as dramatic as possible, whereas Spain wasn’t truly tested until the Semifinal against Germany. Who will reign supreme? Let’s deep dive into the Euro 2025 Final.
England vs. Spain, Sunday, August 27th, 12:00pm EST/9:00am PST, Fox
Lauren James’ status is in doubt for the final, which is huge for England. When she’s on the team, they have a dynamic creator who can change the game in an instant. If not, they’ll have to rely on the two players who have helped get them to this point. Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly have been phenomenal as super subs, helping them come from behind twice against Sweden and Italy, respectively. England’s fitness levels will be put to the test because of Spain’s style of play after going to extra time in their last two games.
The more possession that Spain has, the more England will have to chase them. Sarina Weigman is one of the best managers in the world and could concoct the right strategy to beat this Spain team. Will they choose to sit back more and try to strike on the counter? This would put a lot of pressure on England’s defense, which has struggled this tournament, and require Hannah Hampton to make key saves. The key for England will be how they defend in this game, as if they concede an early goal, they will be in trouble. Spain will be happy to keep the ball as much as possible and either kill the clock or go for another goal if they score early. England would be tempting fate to have to come from behind in the third straight game.
Now, the longer the game stays 0-0, the more England will start to come into the game and go for a win. The first 15 minutes would be cagy with both teams feeling each other out unless someone makes an error early on. Lucy Bronze might be the player that Spain looks to exploit if she gets forward too much, but England can do the same to Spain, whose weakness is their defense.
Olga Carmona scored a beauty in the 29th minute of the 2023 World Cup Final and was able to seal the deal at 1-0 to win it all. A similar result could occur if the aforementioned goal is scored in the first half. Hopefully, England has learned their lesson against this team, and it might elect to make this a much more physical matchup and look to frustrate Spain on the ball.
I don’t think there’s any way this ends up 1-0 again. My pick is for this game to get to 1-1, followed by extra time and a penalty shootout. I’m giving Spain the edge in the shootout, this group of players is starving for this European title after losing at the Olympics, it’s going to be pure cinema.
Prediction: Spain Wins via Penalties (1-1 after 90 minutes)
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