Former England captain Wayne Rooney has backed the Three Lions to end 58 years of hurt by beating Spain in Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Euro 2024 final.
England started the tournament slowly and came in for heavy criticism after a string of sluggish performances, but Ollie Watkins’ stunning last-gasp winner against the Netherlands on Wednesday night set the stage for a mouth-watering clash with Spain.
The Berlin spectacle will be England’s first ever major final on foreign soil, three years on from the side’s painful penalty-shootout loss at the hands of Italy at Wembley.
However, Rooney was impressed by England’s much-improved display against the Dutch and expects Harry Kane and Co to come out of an ‘exciting game’ with an historic victory.
‘I think England will win the game 2-1,’ the legendary ex-England and Manchester United forward told The Olive Press.
‘I thought in the last game against the Netherlands, we played really well and we deserved to win.
‘It’s going to be an exciting game, there will be a lot of young talent on the pitch.
‘I’m sure it will be a good game, a close game, but I think England might just nick it.’
On Southgate’s possible starting XI, Rooney added: ‘I think Gareth will do the same [as the Netherlands semi-final] but I think maybe Luke Shaw might come in and the rest will be the same, so I think that will be the line-up he goes with.’
Speaking ahead of the final, Southgate conceded Spain were the ‘favourites’ and claimed his side would have to be tactically ‘perfect’ to get the better of Luis de la Fuente’s unbeaten team.
‘They would be rightly favourites for what they have done this tournament. They have been the best team,’ the England boss said.
‘They have got a day longer and in the past three finals, maybe more, it has been quite significant, so we have got to get our recovery spot on.
‘Tactically we will have to be perfect as they are such a good side. But, you know, we are here.’
De la Fuente, meanwhile, is gearing up for a ‘very tough’ contest against England, though believes his Spain team have played the superior football in Germany this summer.
‘At the start of the tournament they would be have been within that pack of teams that were candidates to win the title and that is what happened,’ the Spain head coach told La 1.
‘England are very powerful, with experienced and seasoned players. It is going to be a very tough and demanding match.’
‘England have some great players and are very powerful.
‘We have played better than them but that doesn’t have any influence on the match.’
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