Alex Keble looks at the English and Spanish players who have starred in UEFA EURO 2024 and the key all-Premier League battles between the two finalists, who will go head-to-head in Berlin on Sunday.
Of the 103 Premier League players who travelled to Germany for UEFA EURO 2024 only 27 remain.
Spain, widely regarded as the best performers in the tournament and favourites to lift their first trophy since EURO 2012, have three Premier League stars in their ranks.
The other 24 play for Gareth Southgate’s England, who reached their second successive European Championship final with victory over the Netherlands.
Should England's men's team win their first silverware since 1966, it will undoubtedly be Premier League players who defined this tournament, particularly given that Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have had quieter tournaments than was anticipated.
Spain are most represented by LaLiga, as ever, and yet Rodri and Marc Cucurella have been crucial components of Luis de la Fuente’s side.
Here’s a look at the Premier League finalists who have starred in EURO 2024 – and what the key battles will be on Sunday.
Bukayo Saka
That penalty in the shootout against quarter-final opponents Switzerland and the cheeky grin that followed was a well-deserved moment of catharsis that will live long in the memory for England supporters.
Yet Saka has done so much more than that. In the absence of a functioning left wing – the result of right-footed Kieran Trippier playing on that side – Saka has been the focal point of most England attacks, receiving more progressive passes, with 74, than anyone else at EURO 2024.
He has undoubtedly risen to the challenge.
Saka’s dribbling on the right has consistently driven England forward, as reflected in the statistics: among all players at EURO 2024, he has played the second-most passes into the penalty area, with 12, completed the fourth-most progressive carries, with 28, and completed the fifth-most take-ons, with 14.
Kobbie Mainoo
It took Southgate a while to realise that Mainoo is England’s missing link. Thankfully he got there before it was too late.
Since starting against Slovakia in the last 16, Mainoo has arguably been England’s best player, subtly weaving things together with his assertive passing, press resistance, and elegant risk-taking in that congested central area.
It is remarkable that someone so willing to play low-percentage, game-opening passes is averaging a 91.9 per cent pass completion rate.
Mainoo’s defensive work has been just as impressive. He stepped in to win the ball high up the pitch countless times against the Netherlands, and indeed his average of 1.82 interceptions per 90 minutes is better than any other England player.
Rodri
It is no surprise that Manchester City’s fulcrum has been just as influential at the heart of Spain's midfield.
Rodri continues to dictate the tempo of matches, creating a solid foundation that allows wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams to flourish further up.
His 40 progressive passes ranks sixth at EURO 2024 while his pass completion rate of 93.3 per cent is third among midfielders, which is all the more impressive considering only 10 players have played more passes than his 406.
You might expect him to rank a little higher than that, but Spain’s evolution towards more direct attacking football has meant a slightly different role for Rodri. That he is still excelling speaks volumes.
Declan Rice
He was dispossessed by Xavi Simons ahead of the Netherlands’ early goal in the semi-final, but that mistake aside, Rice has been quietly important for England.
The statistics reveal just how much work he gets done. Rice is second among all players at EURO 2024 for combined tackles and interceptions, with 24, his 453 total passes ranks fourth, second for touches, with 554, and third for ball carries, with 340.
In other words, Rice has been an all-action presence in the England midfield, even if – with the team’s performances often called into question – his contribution has often flown under the radar.
Marc Cucurella
The renaissance of the Chelsea defender has been quite remarkable.
Off the back of excelling in the final furlong of the 2023/24 Premier League season as an inverted left-back under Mauricio Pochettino, Cucurella has found form in a more traditional role for Spain.
He is interacting superbly with Williams on Spain's left, dipping infield when Williams hugs the touchline and vice versa to create one-twos that are consistently breaking open opposition defences.
Spain’s three consecutive clean sheets in the group stages also appeared to show that Cucurella is not the defensive liability that he sometimes looked at Chelsea.
Marc Guehi
When Harry Maguire was declared unfit for EURO 2024, a mild panic spread through a nation suddenly appreciative of his aerial prowess, leadership, and set-piece threat.
That feels like a long time ago now. Guehi has fit in seamlessly, displaying the tactical intelligence and defensive heroics that Crystal Palace supporters are familiar with.
Guehi has been heavily involved on and off the ball. Only four players at Euro 2024 have attempted or completed more passes than Guehi, with 423 and 397 respectively, and no England star has averaged more touches per 90 minutes than his 85.5.
His 4.72 recoveries per 90 minutes also ranks second among England players and he is seventh in the entire competition for shots blocked, with eight.
Guehi hasn’t just deputised for Maguire. He’s been a notable upgrade.
Jordan Pickford
There is no statistical data to back up the idea that Pickford has had a good tournament.
He isn’t making many saves per match (2.54, the fourth fewest among goalkeepers to have started more than one match). Six goalkeepers have conceded fewer goals per match than his 0.6.
But Pickford’s role goes beyond raw numbers or tactical analysis. It’s his explosive and confrontational personality that makes him such an important player for Southgate.
He makes the big saves when it matters, but more importantly, exudes a self-confidence that surely rubs off on his team-mates.
His most noteworthy impact was in the penalty shootout against Switzerland, when he saved Manuel Akanji’s spot-kick and did everything he could to delay and put off the rest of the Swiss takers.
Although what sums up Pickford even more was the wink and thumbs up he gave to Xherdan Shaqiri when he hit the bar trying to score from a corner.
Almost aggressively self-assured, Pickford has grown into England’s mentality monster.
Key battle 1: Saka v Cucurella
The battle on England’s right wing might just define the final.
As we’ve already covered, Saka’s threat on the right has been England’s main weapon in EURO 2024 and he will fancy his chances up against Cucurella despite the Chelsea left-back’s strong tournament so far.
Cucurella can be beaten one-on-one, as Blues fans know all too well: his 53.1 per cent tackle success rate in the Premier League last season was lower than any other defender in the Chelsea squad.
And Saka already knows how to beat him. In a 2-2 draw with Chelsea back in October, Saka completed three take-ons against Cucurella as part of a dominant performance for the Englishman on that flank.
The next time the sides met in April, Saka completed one take-on and was tackled once by Cucurella – yet we can hardly say the battle was even. Arsenal won 5-0, and Saka – as in the 2-2 draw – got an assist.
But Cucurella v Saka is just as crucial in the opposite direction.
So far, Saka’s possible defensive frailties as an out-of-position right wing-back haven’t been tested, which will of course change as Williams and Cucurella look to manoeuvre around the Arsenal winger.
That’s not to say Saka won’t cope. Southgate singled him out for praise for his “defensive responsibility” in the semi-final.
“He started defending as a wing-back, then he had to go into midfield to defend, then he had to defend as a winger.”
This is his toughest test yet. How he performs, at both ends, could have a huge say on this match.
Key battle 2: Rodri v Foden
Most people expect Spain to dominate possession in this match, pushing England back more than we have seen so far this tournament. Counter-intuitively, that should encourage English fans.
Having to break down a deep block is what makes England slow and static, whereas facing an attacking side like Spain will mean more spaces in the transition for the likes of Bellingham and Phil Foden to create chances.
That will be England’s game-plan: absorb pressure in a safe midblock then pounce when opportunities arise. The success of the system depends upon how effectively England can stop Rodri from running the show.
Nobody has managed to tame Rodri and Fabian Ruiz, the double pivot largely responsible for Spain’s record of six wins out of six matches, although Germany came close in the quarter-finals by going man-to-man in central midfield.
England’s new 3-4-2-1 formation puts Bellingham and Foden, the two No 10s, in exactly the right position to follow Rodri and Ruiz around when Spain have possession.
If Foden can get on top of Rodri, disrupting his rhythm and stopping Spain’s easy passage through the thirds, then England can gain a foothold.
Better yet, if Foden can force a turnover against Rodri - not an impossible task given that against France, Rodri misplaced three passes in the first half and was tackled once in his own third in the second - England will enjoy running at the Spanish defence.
