Spain isn’t afraid of England at all

England play Spain this evening in the final of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. On Wednesday evening England’s last-minute goal eliminated the Netherlands and simultaneously disappointed many Spaniards who were hoping that the game would go to extra time: extending the match would have left the team they play tonight that little bit more tired.

Over the last few days there’s been much talk in Spain of how different each team’s route to the final has been. Spain arrive in Berlin trailing clouds of glory. They’ve put on some exhilarating displays and won all six matches, scoring 13 goals while conceding just three. England on the other hand have squeezed through by the narrowest of margins: they drew against Denmark and Slovenia, were rescued by Bellingham with half a minute to go against Slovakia, and scraped past Switzerland on penalties, before finally relying on a debatable penalty to keep them in the game against the Dutch.