UEFA Euro U-21 Final 2023: England vs Spain: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Both teams have been on top form throughout the tournament

Spain and England's football stars of tomorrow are all set for the big final at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final (UEFA Euro U-21 Final 2023). The two pre-tournament favourites will meet on Saturday (8 July) in Batumi, Georgia. Both teams are coming into the final on the back of convincing victories in the semi-finals. England defeated Israel 3-0, Spain ousted Ukraine 5-1. The English Wonderkids have won every game on their way to the final and have not conceded a single goal. "La Rojita" are still undefeated as well while they are also the most dangerous side having scored 13 goals in five matches.

Kick-Off:

Saturday, 8th July 2023, 09:30 PM(IST), 04:00 PM(GMT), 12:00 PM (EST)

Form

England U-21 (in all competitions): W-W-W-W-W-L

Spain U-21 (in all competitions): W-W-D-W-W-W

Players to Watch

Cole Palmer (England U-21)

Palmer shows a clear understanding as a right-winger of when to invert and open space in the widest channel. He can cut inside and drive at the defence from the wing to create the space out wide whilst also having the technical proficiency to receive and operate in tight areas centrally.

Palmer has a knack for executing well-timed passes that penetrate opposition defences, creating a lethal combination when paired with his weight of pass. He has shown semblances of ‘La Pausa’, momentarily slowing down in possession to draw opposition and find the opportune moment to release the killer pass. He will be a big threat for Spain on the wings. 

Sergio Gomez (Spain U-21)

The youngster loves to venture forward to create overloads in the wings with his left winger. Despite his 5ft 7 inch frame, he is fast and uses his pace to make intelligent runs behind the opposition. While he is impressive at delivering accurate balls into the box, making intelligent runs, and using his pace to outmanoeuvre rivals, Gomez is equally good at carrying the ball. Gomez is also a brilliant crosser and can single-handedly create goals-scoring chances with his feet. He will play a crucial role in the finals for La Roja.

Match Facts

• These two teams have played each other three times, with one win apiece and a draw.
• The last meeting was at Euro 2009, which England won 2-0 thanks to goals from Fraizer Campbell and James Milner.
• Spain has won this competition five times.

Injury & team news for England vs Spain

England boss Lee Carsley will once again be without Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey who sustained an injury in the 1-0 quarter-final win against Portugal. However, Norwich full-back Max Aarons and West Ham defender Ben Johnson return after serving their suspensions in the Israel semi-final triumph.

Spain named an unchanged lineup for the semi-final win over Ukraine and is arguably their strongest available. Abel Ruiz is the influential captain up top, leading the line and opening the scoring on Wednesday night. Chelsea target Gabri Veiga is an option off the bench with Oihan Sancet currently keeping him out the starting line-up.

Head-to-Head

Total Matches: 3

England: 1

Spain: 1

Draws: 1

Predicted Lineups

England U-21 Predicted Lineup(4-4-2):

Trafford (gk), Thomas, Harwood-Bellis, Colwill, Smith Rowe, Gomes, Gibbs-White, Jones, Garner, Palmer, Gordon

Spain U-21 Predicted Lineup(4-3-3):

Arnau Tenas (gk), Juan Miranda, Víctor Gómez, Aitor Paredes, Jon Pacheco, Sergio Gómez, Antonio Blanco, Álex Baena, Oihan Sancet, Rodri, Abel Ruiz

Match Prediction for England vs Spain

England looks fearsome up top and has a defence yet to concede a goal. They have not had a better chance for glory in 39 years and will surely make it count. Spain will need to win the midfield battle to have any chance of victory and certainly have the firepower to punish England, otherwise, It will be very difficult for the La Roja to get past Young Lions.

Prediction: England 2-0 Spain

Telecast

India: Sony Six

UK:  Sky Sports

USA:  ESPN

Nigeria: UEFA.tv