{"id":16471,"date":"2025-07-26T09:44:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/07\/26\/eurofinal-showdown-spain-plays-down-their-favorite-status\/"},"modified":"2025-07-26T09:44:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:44:33","slug":"eurofinal-showdown-spain-plays-down-their-favorite-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/07\/26\/eurofinal-showdown-spain-plays-down-their-favorite-status\/","title":{"rendered":"Eurofinal Showdown: Spain Plays Down Their Favorite Status"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"article-meta\"><span class=\"timestamp\">July 26th, 2025, 08:10 am at<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Spanish players Alexia Peteras and Patri Guillaro are trying to minimize expectations regarding their favorites label before the Euro 2025 Final this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Spain previously defeated the team 1-0 in the World Cup final two years ago, but England now enters this match as the reigning European champions, having lifted the trophy in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>This year, the two teams faced off twice in the UEFA Nations League, with each securing one victory.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They are the defending champions,&#8221; midfielder Guillaro remarked when asked about favorites at St. Jacob Park.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have two strong teams, and having both in the finals makes for a special matchup,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We know many players from club football, but both sides give their all and are determined to win.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline inline-photo full\">\n<figure>\n<picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2025%2F0726%2Fr1523897_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=570&amp;format=jpg, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2025%2F0726%2Fr1523897_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=1140&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2025%2F0726%2Fr1523897_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=375, https:\/\/a4.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2025%2F0726%2Fr1523897_1296x729_16%2D9.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"lazyload lazyload\" data-image-container=\".inline-photo\" height=\"320\" width=\"570\"><\/source><\/source>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"photoCaption\">Alexia Peteras and Patri Guillaro wish to avoid Spain being labeled favorites for the Euro 2025 final. <cite>Sebastien Bozon\/AFP via Getty Images<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Teammate Aitana Bonmaty noted, &#8220;All the pressure is on them as the titleholders,&#8221; yet Peteras suggested that England&#8217;s manager, Sarina Wiegman, might be seen as the favorite, as she aims for a third consecutive Euro win after her success in the Netherlands in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t believe in favorites for the final,&#8221; Peteras said. &#8220;But Wiegman certainly deserves consideration for her track record.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Right now, there are no favorites in the finals. It\u2019s the finer details that will determine the outcome, so we need to focus on that and compete against their strengths.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-behavior=\"video_scroll\" class=\"contentItem__content contentItem__content--media-card contentItem__content--fullWidth contentItem__content--inline\">\n<figure data-video=\"watch,640,360,45824813\" data-cerebro-id=\"68840a0a9593515e4ae7cb9e\" data-title=\"Bonmat\u00ed: Winning Euro 2025 like 'closing a cycle'\" class=\"media-wrapper_image video\" data-source=\"espn\">\n<picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a1.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2025%2F0725%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;h=360&amp;cquality=80&amp;format=jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a1.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2025%2F0725%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL.jpg&amp;w=335&amp;cquality=80, https:\/\/a1.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2025%2F0725%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL%2Fdm_250725_COM_SOC_Presser_Bonmati_Winning_Euro_2025_like_closing_a_cycle_20250725_GLOBAL.jpg&amp;w=670&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img class=\"lazyload lazyload\"><\/source><\/source>\n<\/picture>\n<span class=\"video-play-button\" data-id=\"45824813\">play<\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\">\n<p>1:56<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"contentItem__contentWrapper\">\n<p>Bonmati: Win Euro 2025 like &#8220;Close the Cycle&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"contentItem__subhead\">Aitana Bonmati reflects on the rematch between world and European champions ahead of the Euro 2025 Final.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Both Spain and the UK aspire to control possession, with averages of 72.1% and 60.5% respectively in these finals.<\/p>\n<p>With a tactical clash on the horizon, Guillaro stated that Spain is preparing for various strategies from England, whether they choose to dominate possession or adopt a counter-attacking approach.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;England tends to have a lot of ball control,&#8221; Guillaro commented. &#8220;We share similarities in that regard, but both teams are also capable of executing rapid counterattacks and utilizing speedy players.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Their competitive spirit has been crucial in getting them to this stage. What they&#8217;ve achieved has been challenging, but their composure and competitiveness have propelled them to this final.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Thus, we&#8217;ve been preparing for all aspects of England&#8217;s game. We&#8217;re working on everything: pressing high, maintaining a medium press, and adjusting our defensive strategies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; Euro 2025 final preview: England vs. Spain, tactics, players, predictions<\/strong><br \/><strong>&#8211; Spain&#8217;s chance for redemption: Euro 2025 provides a chance to rise above controversy<\/strong><br \/><strong>&#8211; Euro 2025: Wiegman emerges as the UK&#8217;s greatest manager. What\u2019s her secret?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This team has matured and learned how to read the game effectively. One key aspect of our strategy is recognizing and interpreting spaces.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Guillaro singled out Keira Walsh, the former Barcelona teammate, as England&#8217;s key player who poses a significant threat.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have nothing but praise for her,&#8221; she noted. &#8220;To me, she is a critical player for England and someone who brings depth to their game. They, like us, prefer ball control, and Keira comprehends football as I do.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-tournament\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/soccer\/story\/_\/id\/45827576\/visualisation\/24404742?2490397\">\n<noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/24404742\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"Tournament visualization\"><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Fan Take:<\/strong> This upcoming Euro 2025 final is not just a battle for the trophy; it&#8217;s a clash of two football philosophies that could shape the future of women&#8217;s soccer. With both teams showcasing immense talent and resilience, the match promises to captivate fans and push the sport further into the global spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>July 26th, 2025, 08:10 am at Spanish players Alexia Peteras and Patri Guillaro are trying to minimize expectations regarding their favorites label before the Euro 2025 Final this weekend. Spain previously defeated the team 1-0 in the World Cup final two years ago, but England now enters this match as the reigning European champions, having [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[4805,685,40,46,475,1098,45,1907,2398],"class_list":{"0":"post-16471","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-eurofinal","9":"tag-favorite","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-plays","13":"tag-showdown","14":"tag-soccer","15":"tag-spain","16":"tag-status"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}