Harry Kane vs Aymeric Laporte
Will Harry Kane end the curse and finally win the first trophy of his career? The Bayern Munich forward, who scored 44 goals in 45 club appearances in his first season in Germany, struggled to continue his form at the Euros, despite being highly anticipated.
Physically worn out, like other stars of the tournament, Kane is still the joint top scorer of the competition with three goals, tied with the Spaniard Dani Olmo.
The former Tottenham striker has a good track record against Aymeric Laporte, his likely final opponent, who he regularly faced when they played against each other in the Premier League. One of Kane’s best performances at Tottenham was scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Laporte’s Manchester City at the Etihad in February 2022. Laporte has since left England for Saudi Arabia, but the Al-Nassr centre-back has proven he is still capable of playing at the highest level.
Spanish wingers against English defense
The two Spanish phenomena Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 on Saturday, and Nico Williams, 22, will once again be the main weapons of the Roja against an English team who have not yet encountered wingers as quick and impactful.
They will be looking to make Luke Shaw and Bukayo Saka their new victims if Gareth Southgate deploys his hybrid 3-4-3 system, having given their direct opponents a run for their money in every game since the start of the competition.
Shaw has only just returned from a five-month injury, while Saka remains a striker although he has won praise from Southgate for his diligent defending. Experienced Kyle Walker will be expected to help contain Williams, who is on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs after shining on the left in Germany.
Bukayo Saka vs Marc Cucurella
Much will therefore be at stake on this famous left side, because beyond his defensive efforts, Bukayo Saka has been the most prominent offensive player on the English side. The Arsenal winger will be opposed to Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella, very convincing at left back despite the difficulties he has experienced in London these last two seasons.
In this mini-London derby, Saka will hope to do some damage on his right side, as he did in the quarter-final against Switzerland when he scored with a fine strike from outside the box. Cucurella’s main hope, having struggled this season in their last encounters, will be to keep Saka in his own half and force him to defend to reduce his attacking impact.
Rodri vs Jude Bellingham
The next Ballon d’Or winner could well be on the pitch at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday. Manchester City’s mainstay, Rodri guided Spain to the final and has lost just one game in his last 79 outings for club and country. Another international title, after the Nations League and Champions League in 2023, would see him rise among the favourites.
Bellingham, meanwhile, has already won against Rodri this year, when Real Madrid knocked City out of the Champions League on penalties en route to their 15e C1. Author of an exceptional first season in Madrid, Bellingham has already won the Champions League and La Liga, and could add the Euro a few days after his 21st birthday.
The weight of the matches sometimes made itself felt in his performances in Germany, but he kept England in the tournament by equalising in the 95th minute against Slovakia in the round of 16 with a superb overhead kick, and was able to make the effort to help his team in key moments.
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