Spain has in Lamine Yamal, the youngest in the history of the competition, its reference for the best attack so far
When England AND Spain Taking to the field by decision this Sunday, the 14th, the Euro Cup will live the last chapters of an edition marked, mainly, by the generational and talent transition. Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 this Saturday, became the youngest player to score and play in a Champions Cup match; On the other hand, despite the failure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to score a single goal in Portugal’s five matches – eliminated in the quarterfinals -, defender Pepe, at 41, became the oldest.
These are the most striking numbers of a European Championship that has seen Spanish dominance and favoritism since the first round. The team showed up young in the group stage, led by Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, and ended up with a 100% success in the deadly group, with Italy, Croatia and Albania; they also eliminated Georgia (surprisingly at their first participation in the competition), Germany, the home team, and France, finalist at the last World Cup.
In general numbers, this generational shift is led by Spain, which still has in the leadership of Rodri, its pillar in midfield, a mix in its squad. Jesús Navas, 38, for example, will be the oldest player on the pitch in the decider against England. The full-back contributed to the victory of the 2010 World Cup. He will retire at the end of next season.
This mix of old and new is Spain’s great success at the Euros. In addition to having the best attack (13 goals), they are the team with the second most shots per game (17.7 shots), the fifth with the most passes per game (582, on average) and need just 8.1 shots to reach the net. They are the favorites for the clash with England, who have scored just seven goals in six games.
