Spain and England are set for the final clash in Group C of the UEFA Nations League, as both teams’ players have their eyes on first place. The match at RCDE Stadium will be a true spectacle for the fans, as neither side wants to leave a bad impression.
Yes, Spain did lose the first duel at Wembley, but in all honesty, Alexia Putellas and her teammates did brilliantly in the following games. They recorded a wonderful 1-5 win over Belgium at King Power at Den Dreef Stadion in a match that could’ve ended way worse for the home side, as La Roja recorded a mind-blowing 39 shots at target.
In their following two Group C matches, Spain went on to bully neighbouring Portugal 7-1 at home and 2-4 at Estadio de Mata Real.
After narrowly beating Spain 1-0 on the 26th of February, the Lionesses disappointed their loyal fans with a surprise 3-2 loss versus Belgium. This gave La Roja a can’t-miss chance to grab 1st place, and the experienced Spanish players did exactly that. However, England fought for their honour in the rematch versus Belgium on the 4th of April, as Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Aggie Beevers-Jones, Jess Park, and Keira Walsh scored the winning goals for the home side at Ashton Gate.
How the bookies view it: Spain clearly the favourites
Our readers might be interested to know that the professionals over at Boylesports have priced Spain's chances at 4/9 to win the match. The expected winners will count on the home-field advantage in order to retain 1st position, while the visitors from England will know that they have nothing to lose and will surely do their best too. However, the Lioness' odds are valued at a surprisingly unflattering 11/2.
Recent head to head: Always a tight clash
We have a complete stalemate in the head-to-head department. The last five meetings resulted in two victories for Spain, two for England, and a tie on the 20th of February, 2020. Historically speaking, England have twice as many victories as Spain, but in recent years, La Roja’s growth has been remarkable, and we now have the two teams entering this clash as equals. What’s interesting about the nature of this rivalry is the fact that very rarely do we see plenty of goals being scored.
Players to watch: Alexia Putellas still has it
We are giving Alexia Putellas a shout-out in our professional Spain vs England women prediction, as we are confident that her place among the starters is confirmed. The Barcelona Femeni star is undoubtedly disappointed over the shocking 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the Champions League final at Estadio Jose Alvalade. The match should’ve ended in favour of the Catalan giants, as Barcelona were obviously the better of the two teams. Putellas, was a force to be reckoned with at the centre of the pitch, as it seems that the 31-year-old midfielder still has what it takes to be the difference-maker.
Predicted line-ups
Spain: Coll, Mendez, Fernandez, Aleixandri, Ouahabi, Putellas, Guijarro, Bonmati, Caldentey, Paralluelo & Pina
England: Hampton, Bronze, Williamson, Morgan, Carter, Park, Walsh, Clinton, Mead, Beevers-Jones &
Anything else catch the eye?
We do expect to see a victory for Spain, but we should give credit where it’s due by mentioning the fact that the Lionesses didn’t concede a single goal in their last official outing. The match versus Portugal couldn’t possibly have ended any other way, as the visitors at Wembley couldn’t produce a single shot on target in 90 minutes of play. This sheer fact alone pushed us to believe that the game on Tuesday could very easily result in under 2.5 goals.
Both teams possess strong attacking lines, but whenever they collide, we don’t see much action in front of the two goalkeepers. It seems that England and Spain are quite equal when it comes to quality, but we believe a thrifty 1-0 Spain is to be expected.
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