Euro 2025 Final Preview: Going Through Changes (Free)

Sunday's final will be hinge on what England change and what they don't.

With a team as good as this version of Spain is, it makes things pretty easy. We know what they're going to do, we know they're going to do it well, and any analysis is basically on their opponents. Germany made things a little sticky, but all Spain games at this stage come down to how well the other team defends, and if they can take any of the chances on the counter that Spain will miserly allow, but allow all the same. When Spain finish, they win easily. When they don't finish...they win less easily.

This game will see England have to change gears. They've had most of the possession all tournament, even in the three games they've been basically butt (France, Sweden, Italy). Their problems have been their opponents letting them have the ball, and watching their odd way of ball-progression spin them right into a ditch. Spain will press them in the rare moments they're out of possession, just like France and Sweden did, but they will have most of the ball as well.

England's main problem has been leaving Keira Walsh alone in defensive midfield, both with the ball and without. With the ball, it's left England totally short of passing options for the defense, and making them go wide or long in a haphazard fashion. Defensively, it's left them brothel-at-the-RNC open to counterattacks, especially as Lucy Bronze just can't get up and down the wing like she used to. When she joins the attack, she's not getting back. If Walsh covers there, the entire area in front of the defense is exposed. If she doesn't, then England's right wing is a runway.

England manager Sarina Wiegman is about as stubborn as it gets, which she can defend with her completely stupid (good way) tournament record. She's made the final, at worst, of the last five major tournaments she's been coaching a team for (2017 Euros and 2019 World Cup with the Netherlands, 2022 and 2025 Euros and 2023 World Cup with England). It's quite simply unmatched by any manager anywhere in any sport.

She started to budge a little in the semifinal, swapping out Jess Carter for Esme Morgan in the backline. She's going to have to go further against Spain. Georgia Stanway, thunderbastard against Holland aside, hasn't really done anything in this tournament. Her biggest strength, her energy, has been nowhere to be seen, and has basically left Walsh deserted in midfield. In a game where the defense is going to need to be shielded heavily and sprints upfield on the counter the order of the day, this version of Stanway doesn't seem like a fit.

Grace Clinton is in far better shape, not having missed the second half of the season like Stanway did. She's a gifted defensive midfielder, and England are going to need more players to break things up in the middle.

On the plus side for England, they haven't really been able to create much when having most of the ball, and Sunday they won't have to. They'll have to create from the open space behind Spain's defense on the counter. That sounds like it leans more for Chloe Kelly to start instead of being the lead shit-stirrer when games turn to chaos. But she's been so good at that it wouldn't be a shock if Wiegman sticks with the front line she's had, depending on Lauren James's health.

Spain face no questions. The lineup is basically set, most of the team spends all year playing together or did at one point, this is a deeper and better team than the one that won the World Cup just two years ago because some of the players who boycotted that tournament are back, and pretty much everything is humming. And when things aren't going well, Claudia Pina will ping one in from 25 yards or Aitana Bonmati will come up with some Sidney Deane shit or just score from the end-line. It's not really fair when a team brings both the height of team chemistry and individual brilliance, but here we are.

At times, both two years ago and here, the Spanish backline has looked on the plodding side when having to turn to face their own goal and put out the fire of a counter. But that's about the only flaw, and a trade good to great teams make when they can attack like this.

Spain are probably better than two years ago. England probably aren't as good as they were two years ago, which wasn't good enough to beat that Spain. Doesn't really add up to them beating this one, either.