The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final is set to go down at Adjarabet Arena in Georgia on Saturday, with England and Spain battling it out for the trophy.
The Young Lions booked their place in the final with a 3-0 victory over Israel on Wednesday, while La Rojita thrashed Ukraine 5-1 in the semi-finals.
Can the Spaniards win a record sixth Euro U21 title? Or will England claim a third crown at their first since 1984? It’s time to take a closer look at the teams.
Let's start with England, who have yet to conceded a single goal at this year’s tournament, picking up five consecutive wins along the way.
After securing 2-0 victories over Czechia, Israel and Germany during the group stage, the Young Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals before dispatching Israel.
On Wednesday, Morgan Gibbs-White, Cole Palmer and Cameron Archer scored as England dominated proceedings, racking up 16 shots and 67% possession.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Young Lions have lost just five of their previous 53 matches in all competitions, so they will be confident of triumphing on Saturday.
Spain, meanwhile, registered two wins and one draw in the group stage, defeating Romania and Croatia before drawing with Ukraine.
After defeating Switzerland 2-1 in extra-time in the quarter-finals, La Rojita crushed Ukraine 5-1 to punch their ticket to the final, courtesy of five different goalscorers.
Having netted 13 goals across their five games – averaging 2.6 goals per game – Spain are the tournament’s top scorers.
Better still, the Spaniards head into Saturday’s showdown on a nine-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, meaning they enter the final in excellent form.
Head-to-head: England and Spain have faced each other twice over the years, and the Young Lions have avoided defeat on both occasions.
After claiming a 2-0 victory over La Rojita back in 2009, England played out a 1-1 draw with Spain in 2011.
Team news: Morgan Gibbs-White has led the charge for England, notching one goal and three assists so far. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordan and Emile Smith Rowe have both scored twice.
On the flip side, Spain’s top performers are Abel Ruiz and Sergio Gomez, who have both chalked up three goals and two assists this summer.
There is no denying that England and Spain have been the best teams at this year’s tournament, but it feels like La Rojita have the upper hand on this occasion.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Spain will secure the silverware with a narrow victory over England, keeping a clean sheet in the process.