The final eight of a Euros flooded with early favourites have largely lived up to the mark; they come out of the group stage with 58 goals between them.
Hosts England had a slow start against Austria on the opening day but have since blossomed into 14 of those goals, an all-time record for a single group stage, without conceding in the meantime.
Beth Mead has stolen the headlines, becoming the first to score five goals in the group stage. Fran Kirby has cemented her position at number 10, whilst Alessia Russo has come off the bench in all three group games and scored three.
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Their 100 per cent record sees them play the runner-up of Group B, a strong Spanish side not without their flaws in their first round.
For much of their final group game against Denmark their position in the competition was in jeopardy. It took a Marta Cardona header in the final seconds at Brentford to set them up with England.
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Coping with the loss of Alexia Putellas a day before the tournament began has unsurprisingly had an effect, coupled with the prior injury of Jenni Hermosa, their all-time top scorer. As such, their attack has looked blunt in their opening games.
Missing players, and their relevant major tournament latter stages inexperience has forced Jorge Vilda to figure out a new puzzle. Players have played in multiple positions, with their best setup still seeming to elude him.
They fulfilled the minimum expectation of getting through their group, albeit the supposed ‘Group of Death,’ but the famously fast and fluid game is more likely to be accredited to England than Spain so far this summer.
Spain are quickly followed by England in the possession stats of the competition, posing a different threat to what the Lionesses faced in Group A. It therefore remains to be seen if England choose to sit deeper and spring on the counter, a strong idea with Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead, or stick to their game to try and dominate the ball.
The talent in La Roja is still evident. Aitana Bonmatí has impressed in the pressure to replace Putellas, and England’s more attack-minded midfield duo of Georgia Stanway and Fran Kirby will have to be aware of the space they leave her centrally, whilst Kiera Walsh will have to be at her usual high standards to deal with the 24-year-old’s drifts forward.
Spain are more settled selection-wise in defence. Barcelona duo Mapi León and Irene Paredes have been crucial figures in the centre, whilst England’s livewires Mead and Hemp on the wings will face fellow WSL players Leila Ouhabi and Ona Batlle. The latter has particularly impressed on the right, but faced a tough afternoon when she last faced Hemp in the Manchester derby. England will fancy their chances on the flanks.
The English high press, which haunted their Group A opponents, could also be a key factor. Whilst Spain are good enough and will try to play through, Germany’s high press in the group stage led to their opening goal against them; Sandra Panos’ distribution went straight to the feet of the onward-approaching Klara Buhl in the Spanish box. The organisation of England’s press thus far could therefore continue to cause their opponents problems.
The two sides kick off the quarter-finals in Brighton at 8pm.
