The View From Spain: La Roja stat-pack & Dani Olmo recommendation for EURO 2024 final | OneFootball

Euro 2024

Dani Olmo has been a star of Spain's trophy push

Ahead of the EURO 2024 final, Jamie Kemp previews the showpiece from the Spanish perspective, leading no doubt about their trophy credentials...

Spain v England SuperBoost

England have made it to back-to-back European Championship finals and Betfair are offering up a SuperBoost to mark the occasion.

English football fans all know about Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, who has committed six fouls at Euro 2024 so far, and managing at least one offence in each of his five appearances at the tournament.

England (84) are the most fouled team in Germany, and boast Jude Bellingham (14) and Harry Kane (11) as two of the top four most fouled players in the competition.

He will also be most likely directly up against Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, who has won 10 fouls at the tournament so far, at 1.7 per 90, and, for whom he has previous with.

In both Arsenal v Chelsea meetings in the Premier League last season, Cucurella committed two fouls directly on Bukayo Saka in each game, and was involved in 10 fouls across the two matches (fouls won + fouls conceded).

Listen to Football...Only Bettor after England reach Euro 2024 final

Stylish Spain evoke memories of 2008 and 2012

We're all aware by this point that the best team doesn't always lift the trophy in knockout competitions, but even then, it'd feel pretty unjust if this Spain team aren't on the top step come Sunday night.

Quite frankly, their path to the EURO 2024 final could barely have been harder. Group B was the only group to feature as many as three teams in the top 10 of the FIFA World rankings leading into the tournament, and following that, La Roja have then had to go through hosts Germany and second-ranked France just to reach the final. Six games, six wins, and no penalty shootouts required.

Things have gone so smoothly for Spain that the only real conversation that surrounds the national team is, well, to lavish praise upon them.

Compare them to other sides - even those who went or have gone far into the tournament - and there are so few of the complaints and themes that we see elsewhere, in terms of team selection, balance, and the style of play. Almost everything has worked to a tee, and all that's left is to marvel at a team that have outlasted all but one side, and played better football than everyone else in the process.

It's difficult to say how much individual performances have fuelled the collective or vice versa, but Spain's squad has just been littered with great outcomes. Around the serial winners Rodri, Dani Carvajal and Nacho, we've seen breakout tournaments from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, Aymeric Laporte near his best after preparation doubts, Marc Cucurella silencing defensive critics, a level of class few expected (to this extent) from Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Olmo going from substitute to one of the tournament's most decisive players.

Indeed, it's symbolic of Spain's collective strength that a player who started the tournament on the bench is now in a strong position to win the Golden Boot award. With three goals to his name for Dani Olmo, including two in two games since replacing the injured Pedri in the quarter-final, few players at EURO 2024 have done more with their minutes than the 26-year-old.

The early indications are that Spain will be either slightly under or over [EVS] for the final, and as a punter I'd be delighted to see them not favoured more heavily. Stranger things have happened in football, but there's not much that would dissuade me from going with La Roja to win in normal time here.

Ones to Watch

Spain have had big contributions throughout their squad at EURO 2024, including nine different players getting themselves on the scoresheet so far. Let's take a look at some of the likely protagonists in the final...

The Shooter

Spain's top scorer Dani Olmo will no doubt have the Golden Boot award in the back of his mind on Sunday night, and you wouldn't bet against him getting on the scoresheet again on current form.

He's netted three goals from six shots on target at EURO 2024, while his average of four shots per 90 is the most of any Spain player in the tournament.

The Creator

It was his goal that stole the headlines against France, but it's worth remembering Yamal's first contribution in that game was a beautiful cross for Fabian Ruiz to open the scoring (although he skewed his header).

The teenager's 16 chances created are a joint-high at EURO 2024 (with Christian Eriksen), while his 13 from open play are the most of any midfielder or forward in the tournament.

The Passer

To the surprise of precisely nobody, Rodri leads the way for completed passes (378) by Spain players at EURO 2024.

Indeed, his pass completion rate of 94% is the highest by a Spain midfielder in a single edition of the European Championship since Xavi in their 2008 triumph (95% - min. 300 pass attempts).

The Fouler

Alvaro Morata hasn't had the tournament he would have liked in terms of a goal return, but his selfless work from the no. 9 role is clear to see in the number of fouls he's racked up putting himself around.

The Atletico Madrid striker has conceded 12 fouls in 386 minutes in the tournament (2.8 per 90), leading the way for Spain on that front.

Dani Olmo swaps the shadows for the spotlight

Spain sealed their qualification for the knockout stages at EURO 2024 without much help from Dani Olmo. He played just 31 minute across their first two group stage games, including sitting out in their victory over Italy, as they assured qualification ahead of facing Albania on MD3.

After making the most of his chance to start in that game against Albania, however, Olmo has been a pivotal part in Spain's run to the final, with his prominence seemingly growing by the match. Even had Pedri not picked up an injury versus Germany, it was clear the Leipzig man was going to play an important part if Spain made it this far.

Olmo has been directly involved in five goals at EURO 2024 (3G 2A), averaging a goal or assist every 68 minutes on average. For some context, the last player to be directly involved in 5+ goals in a single edition of the European Championship (excluding penalties) with a better minutes per goal/assist ratio was Wesley Sneijder at EURO 2008 (60).

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There's an indetectable feel to Olmo's work in the final third; one that makes him difficult to get to grips with for the opponent, and one which becomes all so important in tournament football where space is often at a premium. By the time he's ghosted into those positions in the penalty area, armed with his one or two touches under pressure, it's often too late for his markers to recover. Indeed, his strike against France after shimmying past Aurelien Tchouameni was trademark Olmo.

Nobody has ever scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final, at a single edition of the European Championship. Olmo has ticked off two of the three, and I'd give plenty of consideration to him completing the hat-trick on Sunday night (as well as being a candidate to score or assist anytime given his double threat).