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The Independent
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Outstanding midfield and proven winners – England's final opponents Spain
England will face Spain in the final of Euro 2025 on Sunday. Here, the PA news agency analyses their opponents. Style Spain have shone throughout the tournament playing a rich brand of possession-based, fluid attacking football, very much in keeping with the country's traditions. Coach Montse Tome has an enviable array of world-class players at her disposal and knows she can get on the front foot, confident of being able to dictate games. Tournament form The reigning world champions have lived up to their billing as favourites, producing some impressive performances en route to the final. Portugal were vanquished 5-0 and Belgium 6-2 in a strong statement of intent during the group stages and the 2-0 defeat of hosts Switzerland in the quarter-finals was a thoroughly professional display against stubborn opponents. They had to dig deep to see off Germany in extra time to reach the final. History & pedigree There is no doubting Spain's pedigree, having won the World Cup in 2023 and the UEFA Nations League last year. They are a formidable outfit and this more than makes up for a lack of past success in the tournament. This is only the fifth time they have played at the Euros and their first appearance in the final. Rivalry Recent meetings have been fairly evenly matched, with England beating Spain 1-0 in the Nations League in February, but that result being reversed as Sarina Wiegman's side lost 2-1 last month. Spain, of course, edged the most prestigious fixture of them all with a 1-0 triumph in the World Cup final two years ago. Ones to watch Spain have no shortage of talent and their midfield trio of Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Patri Guijarro is outstanding. Forward Esther Gonzalez has her eyes on the golden boot and defender Laia Aleixandri is available again after suspension.
CNA
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNA
Spain out to finally end winless run against Germany in Euro semi
ZURICH :World champions Spain will aim to secure a first-ever win against Germany in their Euro 2025 semi-final on Wednesday, though the Spaniards insist reaching their first European Championship final matters more than settling old scores. Spain have never beaten eight-times European champions Germany, most recently losing to the Germans for bronze at last year's Paris Olympics. "Personally I see it more as an opportunity, not so much a revenge or a thorn in my side," Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas said in Tuesday's pre-game press conference. "The Olympics are a completely different competition and any player who has been able to play the Olympics and a European Championship or a World Cup, I think we all agree, it is a totally different context, other stadiums, another way of competing. "So I think that the Olympic Games will have nothing to do with the European Championship, with tomorrow's game, but, well, in the end it was a rival against whom we lost and tomorrow we have the opportunity to win it for the first time." Spain coach Montse Tome would love to end their winless run against Germany. "We have not been able to beat them, but we have been closer and closer to beating them," Tome said. "In the Olympic match, we had a chance to do so, it was good and now we are at another point. "I think they are also another team, they have another coach, but Germany is Germany and they have eight European Championships. Their essence is the same, regardless of who is in charge, and we are very clear about the game we want to play tomorrow, how we want to condition it and where we want to take it." Spain won their three group stage games by a combined score of 14-3 before defeating a spirited Swiss side 2-0 in the quarter-finals. "My feelings are good, full confidence in what we are creating, in the mentality we have, in the game we have played throughout the European Championship," Putellas said. "It will be a very tough game, like any semi-final of a major tournament, but with maximum enthusiasm and maximum motivation to move forward and make history once again."
The Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Germany vs Spain – Women's EURO 2025: Get £50 in free bets with Betfred, plus our bet builder tips
EIGHT-TIME winners Germany face reigning world champions Spain in the semi-finals of the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship. To mark the semi-final knockout clash, our team of betting experts has put together a 10/1 Bet Builder for the encounter, courtesy of Betfred. And there's more - new customers who sign up with Betfred and place a £10 bet on football will receive £50 in free sports bets. Germany vs Spain tips Our Bet Builder selections: Spain to win, both teams to score (YES), Esther Gonzalez first goalscorer at 10/1. Here's why we've made those selections.. Spain to win: Spain entered these Euros as favourites to clinch the title - and very little has changed. They've won all four of their matches so far, scoring 16 goals. They remain odds-on favourites to beat Germany as they aim to add European glory to their 2023 World Cup triumph and Women's Nations League title. Both teams to score (YES): Spain score freely - but they also tend to concede. They've kept two clean sheets in their four Euro 2025 matches, but those are their only shutouts in the last eleven games across all competitions. Germany, meanwhile, have scored in each of their last 15 matches. Esther Gonzalez first goalscorer: She leads the race for the Golden Boot, having scored four goals in the tournament so far - only failing to find the net against Switzerland in their most recent match. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – GambleAware – Read our guide on responsible gambling practices. For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. *New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
eNCA
3 days ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Junior Springboks return home after win against New Zealand
JOHANNESBURG - The Springboks under 20 side defeated the Baby Blacks 22-16, to be crowned World Champions. It is the Junior Boks' first title win since the 2012 edition, ending a 13-year drought. Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote says the U20 Rugby Championship earlier this year laid the foundation for the team's stunning improvement.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Euro 2025 power rankings: Spain still the team to beat but England in hunt
Spain's quest to win their first European title continues at full pace. Their quarter-final victory against Switzerland was more difficult than expected and required significant patience. They were not at their best – the hosts did not allow them to be – but the calibre of the world champions' squad means the opposition cannot switch off, even for an instant. Finding a way is relatively easy when you have Aitana Bonmatí on the field, and her back-heeled assist for Athenea del Castillo's opener on Friday night was the moment of inspiration they needed. Winning in front of a partisan host crowd is also an achievement mentally. Sarina Wiegman described England's win against Sweden as one of the hardest matches she has ever watched. But it was also one of the most thrilling. The holders were outplayed in the first half but came back through sheer grit, tactical adaptability and a bench-worth of game-changers. The Lionesses became the first team in Euros history to turn around a 2-0 deficit in a knockout match and they have been in the semi-finals of every major tournament since 2015. That shows a mental resilience not many teams possess. To then win the penalty shootout in the manner they did – through the pure willpower of Lucy Bronze if nothing else – illustrated how important this is. The development of this Italy side since crashing out of the 2023 World Cup at the group stage has been nothing short of remarkable. Andrea Soncin has brought fresh life to a team that were threatening to go backwards. They dominated their quarter-final victory over Norway, utilising Arianna Caruso's passing range, Sofia Cantore's speed in wide areas and Cristiana Girelli's instinctive eye for goal, and celebrated reaching their first major tournament semi-final since 1997 with fervour, tears falling and Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten echoing through the hallways of the Stade de Genève. The difference in Germany between their group defeat by Sweden and the performance they put in to overcome France could not have been starker. They were reduced to 10 players in both matches, but they left everything on the pitch in their quarter-final encounter on Saturday night, battling against the odds to reach the last four once again. There is no doubt that Christian Wück's side are wounded. Their backline is decimated by injury and suspension. There is strength to be found in resilience, however, and Germany displayed plenty of that in Basel. Everyone present inside the Stadion Wankdorf on Friday understood they were witnessing something special. Switzerland have captured the heart of their nation over the past month and their performance against Spain, despite ultimate defeat, will have only brought in more fans. About 25,000 marched through the city of Berne to the match, a sea of red and white that illustrated this goes way beyond the plucky, tenacious performances of Pia Sundhage's young group. They have forged a bond with their fans; it is now up to those in power to ensure this opportunity is not missed. A week ago, France very much looked like a team who could win this tournament, one who had shaken off numerous past issues. But once again, their knockout curse raised its head. Their shootout defeat by Germany was their eighth in their past nine appearances at a quarter-final stage, and it is the way this one happened that will hurt the most. Despite an injury-struck Germany being reduced to 10 players early on, Laurent Bonadei's side created nine chances and recorded an xG of only 0.63 from open play. The inquest will begin shortly. Peter Gerhardsson's dejected appearance after defeat by England summed it all up. The Sweden manager could not comprehend how his in-form side had not won. The initial gameplan was 'perfect' but their inability to retain their energy levels and adapt to the Lionesses' tactical adaptations proved their downfall. Add in some strange substitutions and penalty-taker decisions and it was Sweden who found themselves on the plane home. This was their first defeat since July 2024 and they had taken the tournament by storm up to this point, cruising through the group stage. Ultimately there was a sad end to Gerhardsson's eight-year tenure. How to solve a problem like Norway. That is the question that remains after yet another knockout stage defeat. On paper they possess one of the strongest attacks in Europe, but they all too often fail to be a sum of their parts. Their performance against Italy was disappointing, offering very little bar a 10-minute spell in the second half. Gemma Grainger's side registered just one shot on target in 90 minutes; Ada Hegerberg's equaliser. Their failing repeatedly on the global stage requires a comprehensive rethink by the Norwegian FA if they are ever going to realise their potential.
