England quarter-final ‘could be toughest game in the Euros’, says Spain boss

Spain boss Jorge Vilda believes his side face arguably the toughest test of the tournament when they take on England in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals.

Spain edged out Denmark 1-0 in their final Group B match to set up a meeting with the hosts in Brighton on Wednesday.

The Spanish went into the game needing only a draw to progress to the last eight in second place behind Germany and controlled the contest before Marta Cardona sealed victory with a late headed winner.

Spain dominated possession but lacked a cutting edge at the Brentford Community Stadium, but Vilda is confident his team will be up for the challenge of taking on England.

“I think the quarter-final against England could be the toughest game in the Euros given the level England are playing at,” he said.

“They are the host nation and they have the fans behind them, but that motivates us, we are a team that likes a challenge.”

Denmark head coach Lars Sondergaard expects the England-Spain clash to be a close affair but believes the hosts can learn from his side’s showing.

“If England can play past this high pressing, the pressing after you lose the ball, they have a good chance,” Sondergaard said.

“They also have to be very good on the counter-attacks, but it’s going to be a tight game I think.

“But England have seen two games on how to play Spain.

“They can learn from our performance, which doesn’t help us, but it’s going to be a tight game.”

Denmark, who were runners up in the 2017 Euros, faced a tough task drawn in the same group as Germany and Spain, but Sondergaard felt they acquitted themselves well.

“They had teary eyes, they weren’t that satisfied, they knew that they should have got through, but I think they did such a good job and I think it was the best game that they had,” he said.

“If we can come back from a 4-0 (loss) against Germany, then win against Finland, then play so well against Spain, then we are definitely on the right path.

“In the group of death we were the ones who died, but we fought for our lives.”