Deep down, England always knew it would come to this. They woke on Thursday with their assignment crystal clear: outwit a seemingly invincible Spain if they are to cement their place in history and retain the European Championship title on Sunday.
A thankless task? It has been billed that way but there were elements of encouragement during a sapping, knife-edge semi-final in Zurich that Spain could easily have lost. For the first time this summer they were taken to the wire and the thought occurred that, if a weakened Germany could run them to within an Aitana Bonmatí masterstroke of the full distance, the Lionesses’ haphazard winning machine stands a fighting chance of curtailing the favourites’ party.
