Voice of the coaches | Spain 2 England 1: Tactical analysis for the Euro 2024

Spain won the men’s European Championship for the fourth time with a convincing performance in the Euro 2024 final at England’s expense. England did their best to keep the Spanish at bay in Berlin, but the tournament’s best team held their nerve and claimed victory with a late winner. After Spain won three major tournaments in a row between 2008 and 2012, a new generation of Spanish players have now written their names in football history.

England were probably happy with a 0-0 draw at half-time, as they gave the possession-dominating Spanish side few chances. However, things became easy just minutes after the break when Nico Williams put the favourites ahead. After England survived a difficult spell without conceding any more goals – and after Gareth Southgate replaced Harry Kane and Kobbie Mainoo with Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer respectively – England equalised thanks to a 73rd-minute strike from Palmer.

That moment could have shaken weaker teams, but Spain responded by regaining control of the game. With a few minutes remaining, Luis de la Fuente’s side advanced down England’s right and Marc Cucurella crossed for substitute Mikel Oyarzabal to score the winner.

England – who had come from behind in their three previous knockout matches – almost forced extra time but headers from Declan Rice and Marc Guéhi were cleared off the line as Spain showed a defensive determination to match their quality with the ball.

This is how the managers saw it

“We are more versatile in our game (compared to recent years) and we use the characteristics of our players,” said Spain coach De la Fuente. “We have pace on the wings, control and possession in the middle and a very solid defense – that has given us a lot of balance in all areas of the game.”

“We didn’t keep the ball well enough,” said Southgate. “You have to keep the ball when you win it back. That’s the part that demands more from the legs in the end.”

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analyzed the most important tactical points from Spain’s victory…

Starting lineups

SpainEngland

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23Unai Simon

1Jordan Pickford

24Marc Cucurella

2Kyle Walker

14Aymeric Laporte

5John Stones

3Robin Le Normand

6Marc Guéhi

8thFabian Ruiz

4Declan Rice

17Nico Williams

11Phil Foden

7Alvaro Morata

10Jude Bellingham

19Lamine Jamal

9Harry Kane

England’s block limits Spain in the first half

Spain started the game in a 4-3-3 formation and dominated possession in the first half. With Rodri as the sole pivot, they used wide trios to attack England’s middle block, while their full-backs, eights and wingers rotated and looked to disrupt England’s deeper, player-oriented marking (below). Centre-forward Álvaro Morata occasionally dropped back and tried to draw England’s centre-backs off the line and create gaps for narrow runners. To England’s credit, however, they pursued those runs and defended well in the first half.

England started with a 4-2-3-1 formation without the ball to ensure the back four had enough width and cover to deal with the Spanish wingers positioned very wide. Up front, Rice and Kobbie Mainoo tracked and covered Spain’s number eight (below). Phil Foden did an excellent job of marking his Manchester City teammate Rodri, limiting the Spaniard’s options to play forward and through England’s lines. Without possession, Jude Bellingham was deployed wide left and Bukayo Saka wide right to track any runs from the Spanish full-backs, while Harry Kane provided the high screener at the top of the block. With their organised and disciplined block, England restricted Spain throughout the first half, although they created little of their own.

Spain’s transition to a double hub

England’s good work in the first half was undone in the opening moments of the second. With Rodri forced off through injury at half-time, De la Fuente deployed a second pivot when Martín Zubimendi came on alongside Fabian Ruiz. This meant Foden now played in a 2v1 against the Spanish pivots, while Mainoo and Rice were unable to adapt to Dani Olmo’s new position at number 10. As Spain advanced on the right, Olmo’s movement towards Kyle Walker left the England right-back with two players to mark. As Spain attacked on the right, Olmo narrows down and charges forward while Walker naturally pulls inside. This left Williams free, who was found by a substitution from Lamine Yamal to put Spain ahead.

With England unable to adapt to Spain’s new attacking structure, their block was repeatedly broken in the early stages of the second half. Mainoo joined Foden to cover the Spanish pivots and limit their penetration, but their right flank helped to free up Olmo. Right-back Dani Carvajal began to advance much higher while Yamal narrowed down. This meant Olmo could stay in the left inside channel and continue to overload Walker, while Rice did not cover either side (below). Olmo then had a huge chance to double Spain’s lead as England continued to struggle with the effects of De la Fuente’s half-time substitution.

The advantages and disadvantages of the changes in England

England desperately needed some energy, which 61st-minute substitute Watkins generated with immediate, direct runs past the Spanish centre-backs. Although he didn’t create much himself, Watkins opened up wider spaces between the lines for Foden, Bellingham and Palmer. Luke Shaw overlapped from the left and bypassed Foden’s constricted movements, while Saka kept the width on the right (below). Palmer’s superb shot levelled the game, but while Southgate’s changes increased England’s energy and gave them a goal, they also helped Spain’s central midfielders.

Where possible, Palmer and Watkins pressed high in a 4-4-2 and dropped on the Spanish centre-backs. Rice covered number 10 Olmo, especially when the Spaniard was central. This often left Bellingham – who replaced Mainoo in a more central role when Palmer came on – overloaded in a 2v1 against the Spanish circle balls. As a result, Spain regularly found its replacement circle by passing through and balls over England’s front pressing. The replacement circle then went back into the free circle to draw Spain out and launch another attack.

Southgate’s substitutions had given England some much-needed energy and brought them level, but they also gave the team with the best passing of the tournament a free central midfielder. Spain took full advantage, regained control of the game and eventually got the ball into the attacking line with relative ease to score a deserved winner.

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Author: The Coaches’ Voice