By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The La Roja defeated England 2-1 in the final at the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on Sunday. Substitute Mikel Oyazarbal was the hero, netting the winning goal late in the game as Spain clinched their first trophy in 12 years.
The buildup to the final was all about Lamine Yamal. But Nico Williams and relatively obscure Oyarzabal broke the Three Lions’ hearts on the final stage.
Luis de la Fuente’s side hugged possession in the first half but could not break down a stubborn England defence that double-marked Williams and Yamal on the flanks, and Gareth Suothgate’s side had no shot on target in the first half.
Spain, however, sprinted into attack after the interval and had the ball in the net before England could settle in, Yamal putting it on a plate for Williams to slot in on 46 minutes.
Both sides exchanged chances, with Dani Olmo and Yammal going close, while Jude Bellingham’s shot was a rare attack for England.Southgate brought on the duo of Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer, who combined to revive England in their semi-final win.
The trick again worked, with Palmer shooting low into the far corner from 22 yards to restore parity. Spain regained composure and deservedly bagged the winning goal in the 86th minute. Oyazarbal stretched to poke in Marc Cucurella’s cross for the late winner.
England, beaten finalists at Euro 2020, have never won the tournament, and a flurry of late changes couldn’t engineer another comeback as Spain held on to claim more glory. The victory sealed Spain’s record-setting fourth Euro title, making it the country with the most Euro titles.