England v Spain Preview
England v Spain Match Preview
As far as quarter final draws go, it doesn’t get much bigger than England v Spain. The host nation goes into the match in sensational form, winning all group games and on an unbeaten streak of 17 games under manager Sarina Wiegman.
The match would have been even more eagerly-anticipated had Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas not been ruled out with a heartbreaking ACL rupture. Putellas’ long-time teammate and Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer Jenni Hermoso is also absent owing to a knee injury, leaving the Spain squad looking short of firepower.
Players to watch
England’s Beth Mead is arguably the most in-form player of the European Championships, scoring five goals and assisting two. However, this Spain team has proven to be possession monsters in previous games and England may find themselves more limited on chances compared to their recent games.
Keira Walsh has been gaining more recognition for the way she dictates games and she could be the key player to win back possession and feed Hemp and Mead down the wings.
For Spain, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati has been one of the players stepping up in the void left by Alexia Putellas and she will need to be at her best to help her team to progress against England who will have the added motivation of the home fans cheering them on at Brighton’s Falmer Stadium.
Where to watch England v Spain
BBC are showing all of the Women’s Euros matches and this match will be liv eon BBC1 from 7.30pm.
Viewers can also watch the encounter between England and Spain on BBC iPlayer or the BBC Sport website.