Brighton defender Lewis Dunk is set to be involved in the Euro 2024 final this weekend for England. The Three Lions booked their place in the final after they defeated the Netherlands thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Ollie Watkins in the semi-finals. They will now face Spain for the trophy in Berlin.
So, plans for final day? 😉 pic.twitter.com/wXb4GtxSeH
— England (@England) July 11, 2024
Unfortunately for Dunk, he is one of only a few players in the England squad to not have played a minute of Euro 2024 so far. He will be hoping that changes against Spain. England are 12/5 in the EUROs betting odds to prevail inside 90 minutes.
This game is set to be England’s toughest test to date at the tournament in Germany. In the Spain vs England odds, Spain are the 4/6 favourites to lift the trophy. They are bidding for their fourth success in the competition.
With the game potentially set for 120 minutes and penalties, Southgate may need to rely on the majority of his 26-man squad for the game, particularly his defenders. Dunk will be ready in case he is called upon.
Excellent Season for Seagulls
Dunk, who has been at Brighton since 2003, played 43 matches for the Seagulls in all competitions last season. He had an excellent campaign in the heart of the defence in Roberto De Zerbi’s team. That earned him a spot in Southgate’s 26-man England squad for Euro 2024 ahead of players like Harry Maguire.
A 400th @OfficialBHAFC league appearance for Lewis Dunk today. 👏
An incredible milestone. Late equaliser. ✅ pic.twitter.com/XUvJgR9t5S
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) February 24, 2024
The 32-year-old has played the last seven consecutive Premier League seasons for Brighton. His impact in the 2023/24 campaign was arguably his best. It was a year when he made his European debut in the UEFA Europa League, and he recorded his 400th league appearance in senior football, marking that occasion with a goal against Everton.
Dunk has six caps for England and three of those came in 2023. If his seventh comes against Spain, it will be one of the highlights of his career.
England Have Been Resilient in Germany
The Three Lions have shown a lot of resilience during Euro 2024, as for large parts of the tournament, they have not shown their best football. In the last 16 against Slovakia, they trailed 0-1 in the 93rd minute of the game before finding an equaliser to force extra-time.
In the quarter-final, England needed penalties to overcome a tough Switzerland team. It was their second penalty shootout success at a major tournament under Southgate. They beat Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, while in this competition, they were perfect from the spot, scoring all five penalties.
England’s admirable quality of fighting until the full-time whistle was shown again during their semi-final success. Watkins scored the winner in the 92nd minute of the game to knock out the Netherlands.
This Sunday’s final is live on both BBC1 and ITV, and it kicks off at 20:00.
