Euro 2024 Predictions: Lawro’s backing England with 10/1 shout in his final fancies

Lawro's crystal ball foresees a homecoming.

Spain v England betting tips

England to Win 2-1

 

Sunday 8pm: Spain v England
Euro 2024 Final at Olympiastadion, Berlin
TV: BBC, ITV and RTE

I think England will beat Spain. As good as Spain are, there’s no argument they are the best footballing team in the tournament and they’ve won every game, they’re due a bit of a drop off.

They’re due an average performance and the thing with England now is that they’re in a good place. It’s a happy camp and almost every player has had a few minutes.

Since they’ve changed the way that they play they’ve been creating chances. We know all about the two wide players for Spain but we can deal with those because the lads at the back for England are quick.

Finally everybody’s in the right position, people will say that Harry Kane’s not been good but he’s actually done fab because he’s been up there mostly on his own, slugging it out for 60-plus minutes.

The service to him wasn’t great, he hardly had any touches in the group games, but he’s still scored three important goals. When he comes off he’s not kicking off, he gets the fact that he’s in there for a reason and for the team.

 

Now England are here they’ve got nothing to lose. Gareth Southgate’s made a lot of really good decisions in the last few games. I’ve seen people saying things like his subs got him out of jail and whatnot. No.

He brings the subs on to do just that, to change the game. It’s good management. The players he can bring on add power, enthusiasm and loads of ability.

I think England have done really, really well. I said at the start of the tournament that all you can do is just get through the group games. You can lose a tournament there but you can’t win it.

If you win 6-0 it doesn’t matter a bit. If you lose 1-0 it can be terminal so they got through that and they’ve got better every single game. It’s a 16, 17 man game now and England have the best 17 men available in the competition and that’s shown.

England have got a better bench than Spain. Alvaro Morata’s not scored for Spain up front – so leave him in the starting line up!

alvaro morata, spain, june 2024

The thing with Spain is that you’ve got to infiltrate their midfield. They’re really, really strong there. Dani Olmo’s come in and looks a player, Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, they’re top-class players. They will run the game if you don’t stop them.

That’s where it will be won and lost

Harry Kane doesn’t look at peak condition but he’s scored three goals in six games. He’s in a different role, the great thing at the moment is that Southgate can’t do anything wrong, everything he does just works at the moment and when that happens for a manager it’s just magic.

I think England will win 2-1 in the 90 minutes. They’re just in a really, really good place and being underdogs against Spain will suit England.

They can be physical, I’d have a few quid on England to win in the 90 minutes at the prices. Spain have been outstanding but it will be interesting to see how the two wide players get on against England.

England can shut them down but the biggest thing is to stop the midfield operating. They’re so clever in there, Rodri does his thing and that midfield is as good as any.

This is a team where the centre forward doesn’t score and he drops deeper than Harry Kane a lot of the time. It will come down to who wins in the middle of the pitch.

I have referred to England as we but I’ve not switched allegiances! I would like them to win purely because after watching them in the first three games you’re thinking, ‘same old England’.

Gareth Southgate England

But they now look like a team who deserve to win it. They’ve got outstanding players and you can say that about a lot of our players, sorry, England’s players!

France made a few opportunities against Spain in their semi and they barely scored a goal in the whole tournament so they can be got at. Spain have an extra day to prepare but to be honest I don’t think that counts for much at this stage.

If you’re an England player taking to the field it’s chest out, go to the well. Tiredness won’t count for anything when that whistle goes.

The starting XI know that they can be changed at anytime because of the quality on the bench. That’s a big thing to motivate players to give everything and it could be the deciding factor.

Spain v England betting tips

England to Win 2-1

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