Dani Carvajal has revealed that Spain identified Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka as the “strongest points” in the England team ahead of the Euro 2024 final.
Last season went just about as well as it could do for the Real Madrid fullback. First, he captained Los Blancos to a triumphant double as they won both La Liga and the Champions League and then, in the summer, he won Euro 2024 with his nation. As such, he is in shock contention to win the Ballon d’Or.
Now reflecting on that European final vs the Three Lions during a recent interview with The Athletic, Carvajal explained how Spain looked to ‘contain’ the two England players who they felt posed the most threat.
Carvajal Named England “Strongest Points”
Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka
Speaking to the press, the Real Madrid man gave an insight on how Spain prepared for the final. He noted that the game plan involved trying to nullify Bellingham and Saka, saying:
“We’d done our analysis, we know their strongest points: Jude Bellingham on the left who goes inside or Bukayo Saka who goes wide. We tried to contain them. But we played better, we tried to offer more and in the end, that goal from Mikel Oyarzabal won us the Euros.
“They are very competitive, they have very talented players and they are capable. They reached the final of the last two Euros — that shows they have a very good generation of young players at a high level.”
It’s interesting to note that other key men such as Harry Kane and Phil Foden weren’t seen as the biggest threats. Perhaps this won’t come as a huge surprise, however, with both struggling to impress in Germany.
That’s not to say either Saka or Bellignham were necessarily at their best throughout the tournament, but they did both deliver some big moments. The Real Madrid midfielder scored England’s opening goal of the tournament (assisted by Saka) while he also netted an unforgettable last-minute overhead kick vs Slovakia.
Saka shone most notably during the quarter-final match against Switzerland. He scored a stunning equaliser before stepping up to bag a vital penalty as the Three Lions won the shoot-out.
Carvajal Outside Shot at 2024 Ballon d’Or
Joselu picked him as the most deserving nominee
With all that in mind, it’s clear to see why the two-star players were viewed by Spain as a potential danger in the final. But Carvajal put in a “solid” 7/10 display in the Euros final and certainly did his bit to lock up the likes of Bellingham and Saka.
As such, there are some who think he even should win football’s biggest individual prize of the year. Joselu played for Spain and Real Madrid alongside quite a few Ballon d’Or contenders – such as Rodri, Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, but still thinks Carvajal deserves the award, saying:
“I have always said it, he [Carvajal] is the one who deserves it the most. He has won everything there is to win, scoring goals, being important, MVP in finals (at Wembley). He would be more than deserved.”
Whatever happens, the 32-year-old fullback certainly had a season to remember.