BERLIN — Lamine Yamal and his electrifying skills will directly affect England’s last tactical decision for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, has been one of the best players in the tournament, with his dynamic movement on the right flank causing headaches for every team Spain has faced while racking up six straight wins.
His specific abilities are especially relevant given the ongoing issues England head coach Gareth Southgate has dealt with on the left side of his defense.
Southgate’s preferred first choice at left back — or left wing-back since the team moved to a back three after the group stage — is Manchester United’s Luke Shaw.
Shaw is a natural left-footer but was out of action for several months during the club season with a long-term hamstring injury. Indeed, only UEFA’s decision to allow expanded squads of 26 for Euro 2024 persuaded Southgate to bring him to Germany, in the hope that he could be fit for the later rounds.
That turned out to be the case, and Shaw came on to fill the slot previously occupied by Kieran Trippier after 78 minutes of the quarterfinal against Switzerland and at half-time against the Netherlands in the semis.
Trippier prefers to be on the right but has filled the left-sided role over the past month in Germany. That flank has been England’s weaker one, however, with little to no offensive impetus coming from there.
Now, with the potential for extra-time at the Olympic Stadium, Southgate must decide whether to maintain the status quo and keep Shaw in reserve as a sub, or to switch things around.
Also, the thinking will revolve heavily around which player is better equipped defensively to cope with the speed and ingenuity of Yamal.
"He’s a fantastic player," England captain Harry Kane said, of Yamal. "At 17 years old, to do this in a tournament like this says a lot about him. You can see he plays without fear, with freedom, enjoying himself. He’s going to be one of the most difficult players in the match. I want to congratulate him on what he’s done so far."
Shaw scored after only two minutes of the Euro 2020 final against Italy, but England could not hang on and lost on penalty kicks. He has noticed the impact of Yamal, and Nico Williams on the other flank, as Spain surged past host nation Germany and then France in a semifinal where Yamal scored with a superb strike.
"Spain’s wingers have been unbelievable at this tournament, massive credit to them," Shaw told reporters. "We understand their threats, where their dangerous players are."
There is no question about what an integral part of Spain’s attack Yamal will be in the final, despite his age and relative lack of experience.
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"Lamine is a natural football talent on an exceptional scale," head coach Luis de la Fuente said. "There are very few like him. The special thing right now is how difficult it is to do what he’s doing at (17) with such naturalness.
"To our great fortune, he is Spanish and hopefully we will be enjoying a great footballer, if he has luck, for a long time at the top of the world game."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ MRogersFOX.
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