For a team who started Euro 2022 with such high hopes, progress to the knockout stages was not secured until the very end. Spain were already scraping through to the quarter-finals when Marta Cardona’s 90th-minute header finally put an end to Denmark’s fight, but only after a tense evening at the Brentford Community Stadium that suggested that England should take confidence into their meeting next week down in Brighton. Spain only needed to draw to advance at the expense of Denmark, who required a victory - and for large parts of the evening they looked the side most likely of securing the result that was required.
Spain and England was a popular pre-tournament pick for the Wembley final - it will instead arrive earlier than that but, after losing to Germany and edging past Denmark here, it is clear this is not the same Spain. There are understandable reasons for that, the absence of Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso to begin with, but a team who until five days ago were unbeaten in 24 matches are suffering a crisis of confidence in attack, while displaying glaring vulnerabilities in defence. The prospect of facing an England team who scored 14 goals in finishing top of Group A should be a frightening prospect.
