The biggest soccer tournament of the summer is just months away from getting underway, as the biggest players in the sport will represent their national teams in Germany, with the battle to be crowned European Champions set to be intense.
Spain promised a lot at the 2022 World Cup, but Morocco ultimately ended their chances at an early stage. Luis de la Fuente will be tasked with taking the national team back to the top of the game this year, but they will need to play at a high standard from the start of the tournament.
EURO 2024 will be an incredibly popular sport betting event with different sportsbook bonuses for Spanish-speaking football fans, but could La Furia Roja be among the likely contenders for the top prize in Germany? Let’s delve into recent history, last matches, and Spain’s possible route to the decisive games.
Spain’s Recent History
Spain was one of the most dominant forces in international soccer between 2008 and 2012, winning the World Cup and European Championships on two occasions. However, since the second of their EURO honors, they have been slightly disappointing in major tournaments.
That was once again the case at the World Cup in Qatar when they won just once in four matches before crashing out in the round of 16. But it could be worth mentioning that their record at the EUROs has been much more consistent in recent editions, reaching at least the final four in three of the last four editions.
Their worst showing came when they were eliminated in the round of 16 in 2016. However, they put in a solid effort to reach the semi-final stage before falling to Italy at EURO 2020.
Recent Results
It has been an exciting start to a new era for Spain under their new head coach, but they have played under limited pressure throughout much of the last 18 months. But, it could be worth remembering that they showed their quality in major tournaments after beating Croatia on penalties in the Nations League final last June.
Since that success in the Netherlands, Spain won the next six internationals to finish top of their qualifying group. However, slight issues in their performance have arisen this calendar year after failing to claim victory in their last two matches this year.
Their most recent outing saw Spain play out a thrilling 3-3 home draw against Brazil at the end of March. But, a golden chance to get their form back on track will come in early June, as Spain plays their final warm-up match in Badajoz against Andorra.
Tough Draw To Navigate
Spain will not be given the luxury of playing their way into the tournament in Germany this summer, as they have one of the most challenging groups on paper to overcome. They will open their campaign on June 15 in Berlin against Croatia, who have shown on countless occasions how talented they can be in major tournaments after reaching the semi-finals of each of the last two World Cups.
Italy will be Spain’s second opponent on June 20 in Schalke. This will be a rematch of the semi-final that saw the Spanish eliminated in the previous edition of the EUROs. The Italians will be full of confidence ahead of this summer’s tournament, as they come into the competition as the reigning champions following their win over England in the previous final.
Spain’s group stage campaign ends with a clash with Albania. This looks set to be their most straightforward fixture on paper, as Albania will be playing in their second major tournament.
The nation crashed out in the group stage at EURO 2016 but failed to qualify for the previous edition after losing five of their ten matches.
Route To The Final
Winning Group B would give Spain an excellent chance of making a deep run in the tournament this year. Finishing at the top of the standings would see them come up against the best-placed third team from Groups A, D, E, or F. However, things would get more testing in the following round, as a clash with host nation Germany could await in the quarterfinals before a potential showdown with Portugal in the semi-final stage.
A second-place finish in the group would see Spain have a mountain to climb if they are to end the summer as the European champions. They will face the runners-up in Group B in the first knockout round, before potentially England in the quarterfinals and then France in the semi-final.
In any case, Spain will encounter one of the presumed favorites in either the quarterfinals or semifinals. Spain’s only opportunity to advance will be to defeat one of these teams.
Conclusion
It will be an exciting summer of international soccer in Germany, with several nations all chasing major success. Spain has an excellent squad on paper, but they will need to start the tournament quickly if they have any chance of going deep into the competition.