Gary Neville has pinpointed the Spanish duo he believes could prove ‘trouble’ for England in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
Gareth Southgate’s side punched their ticket to their second successive Euros final after Ollie Watkins’ late goal saw England win 2-1 against the Netherlands in Dortmund.
The Three Lions now have a date with destiny against Spain who have arguably been the tournament’s best side and beat France 2-1 in their semi-final on Tuesday.
Luis de la Fuente’s side have failed to win just one game in normal time throughout the tournament and are blessed with several world-class players.
16-year-old Lamine Yamal, who broke records with his semi-final goal, has stolen the headlines, but Neville believes that Spain’s central midfield duo – Rodri and Fabian Ruiz – are who England should be most concerned about on Sunday.
‘Trust me, if we let Rodri and Fabian Ruiz play in midfield, their [full-backs] jobs will be a lot harder,’ the former England full-back told ITV after England’s win against the Netherlands.
‘So it’s really important, the most important thing is to get people up against them two.
‘If they’re releasing the passes to those two wide players (Yamal and Nico Williams), then full-backs for England on Sunday will be in trouble.
‘Get against Rodri, get against Fabian Ruiz, try and deal with them and you’ll stifle a lot of attacks forward. I thought they were amazing last night [versus France].’
Spain’s coach De la Fuente, meanwhile, said he expected a ‘tough’ match against England as his nation prepare for their first men’s major tournament final since 2012.
‘England are very powerful, with experienced and seasoned players. It is going to be a very tough and demanding match,’ he told Spanish outlet La 1. ‘We have played better than them but that doesn’t have any influence on the match.
‘I don’t have to name any player who stands out. They have a proven track record at international level, but we want to continue growing and improve the level we have played.
‘We will have to find an even better version of ourselves to win the final.’