JOSE ENRIQUE expects Spain to beat England comfortably in tomorrow’s Euro 2024 final.
The former Newcastle United and Liverpool defender reckons Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions have little chance of continental success in Berlin.
Enrique, 38, told Grosvenor Sport: “I think Spain are going to beat England in the Euros final – and I think they will win easily in the end.
“I’d have to say that Spain will win 3-0. Spain are going to control the game.”
Enrique, who won a League Cup with Liverpool in 2012, feels it would be the wrong tactic for England to be defensive against the best attacking unit at the tournament.
The former Spain international continued: “I expect Gareth Southgate to set his team up in the same way they have all summer and sit back.
“Much like they did against Holland in the semi-finals.
“However, when England conceded the early goal they looked a completely different team, that’s when they then started to push and threaten more.
“If Spain don’t score early then I can see England sitting back much like they have been doing for most of the tournament.
“However, this is not going to work because if England sit back against Spain, then they will really struggle against what I believe is the toughest attacking outfit they’ve faced yet.
England have played Spain 27 times in total - here is a look at every result...
Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.
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SunSport's Dave Kidd explains why England captain should not start Netherlands clash.
Gareth Southgate built this era of consistent English success on ruthlessness.
Now can the England manager make the boldest selection call of all by benching his captain and all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane for Wednesday’s Euros semi-final against Holland?
Because Kane needs a rest and England need a different option at centre-forward.
Southgate started his reign by thinking the unthinkable and binning off his captain and all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney.
Could he now do the same, temporarily, with Kane?
Southgate may be loyal to a fault but even he admitted his skipper was not “flowing” after Saturday’s shootout triumph over Switzerland.
The Three Lions chief replaced a struggling Kane with Ivan Toney in extra-time.
Few of Europe’s leading stars are peaking here and many are running on fumes. Yet even in this environment, Kane sticks out as being absolutely cream-crackered.
During Saturday’s game, England needed an outlet as the Swiss pinned them back before Breel Embolo’s opener but Kane didn’t have the legs to provide it.
He is not winning enough aerial duels, has been way off target with a couple of headed chances and against Switzerland his touch count was again worryingly low, just 26.
Ideally, Kane would be honest enough to admit he is struggling.
Yet all great goalscorers need egos — a selfish streak is part of the job spec.
And for a player who has, infamously, never won a trophy to offer himself up for a rest at the semi-final stage is almost unthinkable.
But England needn’t rely on Kane to such an extent that they have to play him when half-fit.
Southgate knows his history and made a point of telling his squad about 1966 and how England’s goalscoring talisman, Jimmy Greaves, was injured in the final group match and replaced by Geoff Hurst.
Fifty-eight years later, another legendary Tottenham goalscorer is struggling for fitness. Could Toney, or even Ollie Watkins, become the Hurst of 2024?
“The likes of Lamine Yamal will really cause the England backline trouble if they’re too deep.
“If both teams don’t sit back and play too cautiously and instead really attack with their fluid front-lines, then this has the potential to be a really great game.
“If you look at the talent on both sides, England probably has even more talented players than Spain.
“However, given the performances across the whole tournament you would have to say Spain are the better team.”
