England v Spain predictions: Lionesses taken to edge high-scoring affair

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for England v Spain in the quarter-final of the Women's Euros on Wednesday.

Where to watch

BBC One, 8pm Wednesday

Best bet

England to win and over 2.5 goals
1pt 12-5 bet365, Boyles

Team news

England
Sarina Wiegman named an unchanged line-up in all three group games and is unlikely to deviate here although Alessia Russo is perhaps closest to a call-up given she has three goals from the bench. Back-up goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has tested positive for Covid.

Spain
The star pair of Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso were ruled out before the tournament with long-term knee injuries but the Spanish have suffered no fresh injury concerns.

Match preview

England scored 14 goals without reply in their Group A procession but can expect a much tougher assignment when they take on Spain in the first Euro 2022 quarter-final at the Amex Stadium.

Despite the increase in quality of their opposition, the Lionesses are fancied to reach the final four at the expense of La Roja.

Spain suffered a hammer blow on the eve of the tournament when 2021 Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas was ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury, leaving a major hole in this side.

Nevertheless Jorge Vilda’s squad managed to navigate a path out of the toughest group in the tournament despite losing 2-0 to Germany in their second group game.

They beat Finland 4-1 in their opener and then secured their passage to this point with a late 1-0 win over Denmark in the final group game.

A concern for Vilda will be that his team were caught cold twice in their group games, conceding in the first three minutes against Finland and the Germans, and have looked susceptible to the ball in behind their defence.

They conceded through a ball over the top against the Finns and were lucky not to see captain Irene Paredes sent off against Germany after she brought down Alexandra Popp in a similar situation.

This game represents an interesting stylistic match-up between the two sides who have had the highest possession stats for the tournament so far, with Spain keeping 74 per cent of the ball in the group stages and England 67.

England’s defensive capabilities are likely to be tested more than at any point in their first three matches and they may have to settle for staying compact and trying to hit their opponents on the counter attack.

The Spaniards will have plenty to worry about in those situations though. Beth Mead, Ellen White and Lauren Hemp have scored eight times between them in the group stages. To add to that Alessia Russo has scored three times from the bench so it is not hard to make a case for the attacking threat that the Lionesses pose.

Sarina Wiegman is likely to stick fairly close to the team that impressed when unchanged throughout the first three games. The Dutch manager will be without backup goalkeeper Hannah Hampton who tested positive for Covid on the eve of this clash.

Given the attacking threat that England pose and some of the Spanish defending in the group stages, the Lionesses are fancied to take the spoils in a high-scoring encounter.

Key stat

England scored 14 goals without reply in the group stages

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