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Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winning goal for Spain resulted from a series of mistakes by Southgate’s side, both with and without the ball.
With the final tied at 1-1 and less than five minutes remaining, England’s lack of composure and focus led to several small tactical errors, culminating in the goal that secured Spain’s victory in the Euro 2024 final.
Here, Telegraph Sport dissects England’s sequence of unfortunate events.
**Mistake one: Aimlessly giving up possession**
England managed only 35 percent possession throughout the match, struggling to retain the ball. Just before Spain’s winning goal, Marc Guéhi found himself with no passing options and resorted to a hopeful punt downfield, which resulted in a throw-in and allowed Spain to go on the attack.
**Mistake two: Letting Spain escape after losing shape**
Against a technically skilled team like Spain, it’s crucial not to allow them to pass through midfield lines. In the final minutes, England needed to stay compact but were instead too open. Neither Cole Palmer nor Phil Foden marked Fabián Ruiz, who easily received a pass in the center of the pitch, bypassing four England players and exposing Southgate’s side.
**Mistake three: Midfield caught in no man’s land**
Ruiz then made a vertical forward pass to Dani Olmo, who turned and advanced. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham were positioned too deep to challenge Olmo but too high to block his pass to Mikel Oyarzabal. This left England’s midfield in a vulnerable position. Olmo passed to Oyarzabal, who directed the ball to the advancing left-back, Marc Cucurella.
**Mistake four: Walker hesitates closing down Cucurella**
Kyle Walker, known for his speed, appeared within reach of the ball before Cucurella delivered the decisive cross. However, Walker hesitated, likely wary of Cucurella’s dribbling ability, and chose not to dive in to block the cross, a miscalculation that proved costly.
**Mistake five: Guehi hands Oyarzabal a head start**
After passing to Cucurella, Oyarzabal sprinted towards the goal. Guéhi recognized the danger but reacted just a fraction of a second too late. This small hesitation allowed Oyarzabal to gain a crucial head start, resulting in the final mistake in a series of errors over just 20 seconds that ultimately led to Spain’s winning goal.
