By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored four minutes from time to give Spain a deserved 2-1 Euro 2024 final victory over England on Sunday and a record fourth European crown, as Gareth Southgate’s team lost in their second successive final.
Oyarzabal combined with Marc Cucurella on a swift counter-attack for the winning goal as Spain were crowned champions, having won all seven games they played in the tournament.
After an extremely cautious first half where Spain had more possession and their opponents got the only shot on target, it only took two minutes after the restart for the Spaniards to break the deadlock.
Teenager Lamine Yamal found space down the right and crossed for fellow winger Nico Williams to slot home as England fell behind for the fourth successive match.
Spain then enjoyed a purple patch with a series of attacks as England’s previously watertight defence fell apart.
England boss Gareth Southgate reacted by sending on Ollie Watkins, the goalscoring substitute hero of the semi-final, for an ineffective Harry Kane after an hour, with Cole Palmer, their most creative player for the last month, joining him 10 minutes later.
It paid off almost immediately when Jude Bellingham laid the ball back into Palmer’s path and the substitute curled home a precise low 20-metre shot in the 73rd minute.
The massed ranks of England fans, who vastly outnumbered their rivals, exploded and the whole feel of the night changed.
Spain, however, weathered the storm and, Oyarzabal who came on in the 68th minute, struck.
There was still time for more drama at the other end as Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon parried a Declan Rice header from a corner and Dani Olmo blocked Marc Guehi’s follow up on the line. [Reuters]