Scott Thornton's EURO 2024 Final
7/2 Bet Builder

There seemed to be a danger of us seeing two rather tame semi-finals on the goalscoring front but thankfully, that was not the case. Spain have played the best football at Euro 2024. Their youthful swagger is coupled with composure and the goals have come as a result. Luis De La Fuente’s team aren’t as possession-orientated as the Spanish teams of yesteryear but it is not to their detriment. Their 12 goals at this tournament is more than any other side. La Roja’s average of two goals per game is only bettered by the Germans, who averaged 2.2 goals per outing. Both teams had scored in the opening 21 minutes of Spain’s last game against France, and we could see a fast start once again.

England, certainly on paper, have the most menacing attack in Europe but last night was the first time they looked truly dangerous. Prior to that game, England had only managed to score an average of 0.8 goals per match at the tournament. As a result, Gareth Southgate will have feared the worst when the team fell behind after seven minutes. However, the Three Lions remained on top, particularly in the first half and both teams had scored by the 18-minute mark.

Spain haven’t gone toe-to-toe with England since 2018 but the more recent meetings have seen plenty of cards. They met twice in the UEFA Nations League that year. There were six cards when the teams went head-to-head on Spanish soil and five in England. There were five cards in England’s semi-final against the Netherlands. That’s if we don’t count the card that Kieran Trippier picked up on the bench after he was substituted. The Three Lions matches at the Euros have seen an average of 4.33 cards per game. Three of their six games have seen at least 50 booking points, and the melting pot of the final should mean we see plenty of cards.

Just two of Spain’s matches have seen five cards or more at this tournament but we could well see another here. Their quarter-final vs Germany saw eight cards in the 90 minutes of regulation time. There were a further four cards handed out in extra time. Three players were also booked on the bench. This clash with England could be just as feisty with both teams brimming with attacking talent.

England may have a plethora of attacking talent but surprisingly, that hasn’t resulted in them winning corners. The Three Lions have had an average of 3.5 corners per game, less than the likes of Slovakia, Romania and Serbia. England’s matches have seen an average of 5.33 corners per game overall, the fewest at Euro 2024. Southgate’s side looked more dangerous against the Netherlands but amazingly, they failed to win a single corner. The Dutch had just three.

Spain’s matches have seen the fourth fewest corners at the tournament with an average of 4.33 per game. Four of their six games have seen eight corners or less.