Spain vs Germany: How Williams and Yamal will torment Euro 2024 hosts

In a tournament defined by so many close games, Spain stand apart from the rest for one simple reason: They absolutely hammer everyone they come across.  

They won 3-0 against Croatia, setting the tone; beat Italy 1-0, though it was a true battering in every sense but the scoreline (their xG was 2.79); a near-fully rotated XI then dismissed Albania 1-0; and in the Round of 16, after an early initial scare, ran riot against Georgia and won 4-1. 

They are the team who leave opponents racked, midfields gassed, defenders seeing double and goalkeepers sore. They’ve taken the most shots per game (20.5), generated the most xG (10.07), boast the second-best passing accuracy (90.5%) and have won the second-highest percentage of their aerial duels (61.6%). Oh, and they’ve conceded one solitary goal, which was a slightly strange own goal.  

You’d hesitate to call them perfect - very few teams are, and this is particularly tetchy ground considering the Spanish teams that came before them - but they must be pretty close. Speaking of those 2008-2012 teams, though, there’s one clear and obvious difference between the two styles: this one utilises direct, relentless dribbling from the wings.  

Sure, the class of 2024 can move the ball about with remarkable fluidity too, but they attack from the wide areas in a way those Xavi and Andrss Iniesta sides simply did not. The genius behind this core difference - and perhaps this edge - is wing duo Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. 

You’ve heard all about Yamal by now. He’s the reason the words “16 years of age” keep being muttered. 'He’s still studying!' 'Portugal stalwart Pepe is older than Yamal’s dad!' You get the picture.

He’s also insanely good at football - and not just from a technical standpoint. The way he drives at his full-back, feinting left and right but always moving forward, is causing carnage. He’s got two assists in three games but should have more; no player has created more big chances than Yamal (4) at this tournament and he has a signature crossing technique that looks devilishly difficult to defend in the box.   

On the other flank, Williams does the exact same thing. Just relentless running at his full-back, cutting in or hitting the byline and driving his marker backwards, into the box and on, until the whites of his eyes show. He has a goal and an assist in the space of three games, and he too should have more. 

The key is they never stop, they never slow down, they are never deterred. Watching Spain attack Georgia fresh off England’s snoozefest with Slovakia was like watching a game on fast-forward; the speed of action is remarkable, and Spain work hard to get the ball into their wingers’ feet consistently and quickly, so they can then have another crack at their man. 

Anyone who remains in the tournament should be very, very concerned about this. The most concerned team should be Germany, as not only do they meet them on Friday in the opening quarter-final, but based on what we’ve seen of the hosts so far, they’re very susceptible to this exact type of attack. 

The reason for that is that Germany’s possession work, led by Toni Kroos, looks really smooth but takes place in a very narrow band of the pitch. At least one full-back is invited to invert, leading to a cluster of players in the centre - and often a big, counter-attackable gap appears on the flank.
Germany’s defence was a concern heading into the tournament, as despite some star-studded names back there, including Antonio Rüdiger and Joshua Kimmich, it’s hardly a clean sheet generator. Both Switzerland and Denmark have exposed some frailties en route to this point - frailties Spain’s forward line will look forward to teasing. 

There’s no doubt Julian Nagelsmann - an astute tactician - will be aware of the threat Yamal and Williams carry. What he does in response, be it the system or personnel, should be fascinating.  

Were it not for Spain, we’d probably be talking about Germany as the very best at the tournament so far,  so it’s important not to paint this as David vs. Goliath - Germany can hurt Spain in their own ways too - but Yamal and Williams have been a whirlwind force that must be specifically planned for, or else the hosts’ European Championship journey will end here.