England Women will have to be at their best without the ball against Spain

England’s momentum is growing and they will not be worried about facing Spain in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals on Wednesday. They have played them before and know what it takes to get the better of one of the best sides in Europe.

At Euro 2017 I was in the England squad that beat Spain 2-0 despite having only 22% possession during the match. England will be happy to let Spain have the ball as long as they themselves are organised and disciplined, which they have shown to be thus far. Sarina Wiegman’s side have dominated possession in the group stage but they might need to be at their best without the ball on Wednesday. England will play top nations in the latter part of the tournament and will be embracing the challenge.

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Spain are without Alexia Putellas and any team in the world that would miss a player of her quality. You do not win the Ballon d’Or for nothing. The tournament is the lesser for her absence after she was cruelly sidelined with an ACL injury just hours before the first game. She scored 11 goals in the Champions League and another 18 in the domestic league for Barcelona last season. She is the person who can make a difference in a major tournament. The experienced forward Jennifer Hermoso is also out, leaving gaps to be filled in the spine of the team.

Spain hit four against Finland but struggled in front of goal in the loss to Germany and only scored late on against Denmark with the opponents chasing the game in their final group match. They are not as clinical as they would like given their possession stats; they are the best team between the two 18-yard boxes thanks to their style, buildup play, ability to receive the