A pop-up moment of world-class talent may be all Spain need

Everything that took place in the months and years following that moment means there is a sense that this Spain team are yet to have the chance truly to celebrate their success. They missed out on a medal at the Olympics last summer. Today’s final could be the point they get to finally enjoy the success they have been achieved in recent years.

It can feel surprising they have not yet had that moment, but despite their relative dominance of both club and international football recently, it’s taken Spain a long time to make good on their promise. They had never won a European Championship knockout tie until they beat Switzerland last week. They had also never in their history beaten Germany until Aitana Bonmatí scored a 113th-minute goal to win them their semi-final in extra time.

Spain’s early performances in this tournament were swashbuckling. They scored 14 goals in the group stages as they dispatched Portugal 5-0, Belgium 6-2, and Italy 3-1.

A quarter-final meeting with hosts Switzerland looked like another opportunity for Spain’s players to eye up the tournament’s Golden Boot but despite eventually winning 2-0, the match showed a different side to the world champions. For all their skills, they can get frustrated by an organised defence that is harder to break down. It is a tactic Germany employed to great effect for 113 minutes, until Bonmatí glimpsed a gap between Ann-Katrin Berger and her post through which to thread the ball.

That goal summed up Spain in many ways. They are not tactically perfect, but given all of their immensely talented players, it tends to be a case of waiting to see who pops up with a world-class moment. Alexia Putellas, Clàudia Pina and Bonmatí herself have all taken on that mantle during this tournament.

Today will be a chance for someone else to do it, too.

My prediction: Spain win 2-0

Photograph by NurPhoto