Thank you for joining me for this belter of a match. It had everything but it is Spain who come out with the bragging rights in a clinical 6-2 result. They weren’t perfect with their defence ragged at times but they won’t mind, they sit top of the group for now. To recap all of the action read the report below. Portugal v Italy also kicks off soon so make sure you keep up to date with all of that action. Bye for now.
A fun fact for you, Alexia Putellas is the first player at a women’s Euros to score two goals and make two assists in a single game. She is back at the top of her game.
Is there any doubt in anyone’s minds that Spain will win this trophy? 11 goals in two games and just two conceded. A huge strength in depth. The likes of Germany and France are likely to have a say in the trophy race but it’s surely Spain’s to lose.
The other game in this group between Italy and Portugal kicks off at 8pm BST and the blog for that one has already started. Keep up with the action:
A huge signing was confirmed while that game was on with American international Lily Yohannes signing for OL Lyonnes from Ajax, for all the signings across Europe take a look below:
Alexia Putellas has never really had a bad game of football but she is now most definitely back to her best. She missed the last Euros with an ACL injury and came off the bench regularly at the World Cup in 2023. But she was at the heart of everything Spain did well today, Ballon d’Or number three could be hers this year.
So here are those permutations, with implications for Portugal also spelled out.
Belgium will be heading home if Italy do not lose to Portugal, while Portugal will be out if they lose to Italy.
Spain, though, could book their spot in the knockout stage this evening if Portugal do not beat Italy. While Italy will be through to the quarter-finals if they beat Portugal.
Full time: Spain 6-2 Belgium
Well if the 5-0 win against Portugal was a statement, Spain have more than underlined it with a clinical win against Belgium. Yes they were at times carved open by their opponents but they always had the right response. Belgium will have to wait for tonight’s game between Italy and Portugal to see if they remain in the competition. A reminder of those permutations in a second.
90 + 3 min: Putellas on the hunt for a hat trick sends it over the bar. She is now top of the Golden Boot standings as while Gonzalez also has three goals, Putellas has two assists.
90 + 1 min: There will be four minutes of added time.
90 min: I don’t know if I have ever typed this fast in my life, what an absolute cracker of a game. Action everywhere you look, no time for a breather.
NO GOAL! Spain 6-2 Beligum
It is ruled out for offside.
The goal is being checked for offside, Spain were is disarray there.
GOAL! Spain 6-3 Belgium (Cayman, 87)
I cannot keep up.
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That came from a corner again, the rebound into the box is flicked in by Putellas.
GOAL! Spain 6-2 Belgium (Putellas, 87)
My god.
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86 min: 7, 961 people in the stadium this evening, I feel they could have used bigger stadiums for some of the group games this tournament. They are all being packed out. Spain make another change with Carmona off for Ouahabi.
84 min: I just cannot see anyone but Spain winning this tournament come the end of the month. They are just on another level, even when they go behind within a minute or two they score themselves. Elite mentality.
82 min: The goal is her last action as Paralluelo comes on for her.
Lichtfus had just saved an attempt from Pina before she got it back and absolutely whacked it home. Huge. Very similar to the one she scored against Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.
GOAL! Spain 5-2 Belgium (Pina, 81)
What a goal.
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80 min: Belgium makes more changes with Teulings is off for Blom and Missipo is on for Toloba.
78 min: Jeez Louise, or should I say Janice as Cayman launches a massive effort with Nanclares needing to make a great save to keep it out. Belgium not giving up.
77 min: My goodness Patri that would’ve been sensational. A lovely lofted ball almost beat Lichtfus but it grazes the post.
76 min: Belgium playing a bit fast and loose at the back, some miscommunication almost sees Spain pounce on their fifth.
74 min: Spain look as though they are playing with Belgium as though a cat does with a mouse now. Before anymore game play, Spain make two changes with Gonzalez and Caldentey off for Martin-Prieto and Del Castillo.
72 min: Spain win a corner and the delivery once again causes chaos but it’s eventually cleared. Phil Norton has emailed:
Soggy chips bad, crisp chips good. If you’re trying to avoid filling yourself with grease, you can toss the potatoes in oil, and then use an air fryer. Skinny a.k.a. shoestring chips are an abomination. Give me what the Americans call steak fries.
71 min: Wullaert created a good attack with Spain’s defence in disarray but Belgium can’t get anything from it. they are then immediately up the other end with the ball on a plate for Putellas but her header is just wide. It’s just beautiful football.
69 min: I can’t imagine being a Belgian defender after conceding four goals already and the likes of Salma Paralluelo are still to come on the pitch. Before any potential changes they have to contain the threats on pitch with a Caldentey effort just wide.
67 min: Belgium need to get something going and quick but they seem to have gone down a gear in the last five minutes, while Spain only feel like they are in third gear.
65 min: Belgium make a change with Dhont on for Eurlings.
64 min: That was almost fifth for Spain on three separate occasions, among them a powerful strike from Putellas. The Belgian defence holding for now. The resulting corner sees the ball repelled again but it feels like the scoring is this game is not over.
63 min: Belgium have a lot of work to do now to get something from this game.
The delivery was good and Paredes headed it into the path, it’s frantically pinballed before Caldentey gets it in.
GOAL! Spain 4-2 Belgium (Caldentey, 61)
Pina sends it in again and Caldentey has it in.
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60 min: Pina sends it in and Lichtfus tips it over the bar, that was almost all the way in. Another corner to come.
60 min: A nice ball was sent through to Eurlings but the weight of the pass has too much on it for her to get a clean strike. Up the other end Spain win a corner.
59 min: Belgium have not faded after conceding quite quickly after scoring, they are still up for the fight, it’s just their final touches that need to be a little more clinical.
57 min: Belgium come forward through Toloba, who crosses to Wullaert but she can’t convert. It would not have stood regardless as she was offside.
56 min: Gonzalez remains the top scorer at this tournament so far, she now has three with two coming in their opening match against Portugal.
54 min: What a game this is, it’s an excellent watch as a neutral. I bet Spain and Belgium fans may be a bit more nervous.
I can hardly keep up. Lovely slick play between the team and it is Gonzalez who slots home.
GOAL! Spain 3-2 Belgium (Gonzalez, 53)
What a reaction.
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A vital VAR check as the officials ruled Eurlings offside in the build-up but the technology overturns it. Game firmly on.
GOAL! Spain 2-2 Belgium (Eurlings, 51)
It stands!
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51 min: It’s being checked now, will it stand?
51 min: Oh my word, Belgium thought they had scored on the counter but they have been ruled offside.
49 min: Bonmati gets a cross in but Lichtfus reads it well to collect it. Justin Kavanagh has emailed:
For what it’s worth, Sarah, bagels are my beef! Doughy, heavy and too tough on my aging teeth. But this tournament has been quite tasty so far, even if we’re still on the starters. Let’s hope the main course provides us with a feast of football, once the knockout rounds are served up by our Swiss waiters.
Oh I do like the inclusion of the tournament with the food, very original.
47 min: Spain win a free kick through a foul on Putellas, it is deep in their half so they have to build. They take their time to get out of their own half, patience being key.
Back underway: Spain 2-1 Belgium
So will Belgium get back into this? Or will Spain run away with it? All to come. Bonmati is on for the second half and I believe Lopez is off, she had been having a great game but it is Bonmati.
The best player in the world, Aitana Bonmati, is doing an individual warm-up at half-time. It looks like she’s preparing to come on soon... She’s done some stretches with a resistance band and now she’s doing one-touch passing with a member of the Spain fitness staff.
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A reminder that this result alone will not knock Belgium out if it stays as it is. Belgium will only be knocked out if they lose this game and Italy avoid defeat by Portugal.
Vicky Lopez is an emerging star in women’s football and she is just going strength to strength. So far in this game she has been a bright spark, learn more about her below:
Half-time: Spain 2-1 Belgium
Spain got the scoring underway but it did not take long for Belgium to equalise. But Spain’s captain Irene Paredes stepped up to give her side the lead once again as they bid to keep their spot at the top of the table. Belgium are not out of this match but they will need another but of magic to get something from this.
45 + 1 min: What a clearance from Jannsens, that looked a sure goal from Lopez but it’s cleared off of the line.
45 min: Pina takes it again and Patri gets a head to it but Belgium do enough to clear.
44 min: Spain really looking settled now as they attempt to put this one to bed. A corner to come.
42 min: Gosh Spain moving so quickly I couldn’t keep up there. But it was a class goal from Paredes, who didn’t play against Portugal because of a red card she picked up pre-tournament.
The delivery from Pina was a peach and it was a powerful header from Paredes that gets the better of the keeper.
GOAL! Spain 2-1 Belgium (Paredes, 39)
From another corner.
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39 min: Spain have had over 300 passes so far, Belgium have had around 70. Just proves the dominance throughout this match so far but the scoreboard doesn’t currently show it. David Ford has emailed:
French fries are very definitely not ‘aka chips’ - they’re two entirely different things. Chips are God’s food, while french fries are an abomination.
As far as doughnuts go - they’re not necessarily behind closed doors, and I think these machines are rather cool.
That was actually quite mesmerising.
37 min: A lovely run from Pina but her resulting shot is blocked, Belgium quite literally throwing themselves in the way here as Spain look to regain the lead. Spain now win a corner and take it quickly, it’s fumbled by Gonzalez and with a cleaner strike that would have been a goal.
35 min: I can also confirm from my dry sofa at home that it is once again pouring with rain in Thun.
I can’t emphasise enough how wet the conditions have been here, since around 4pm local time this afternoon. It must be impacting on the surface and therefore impacting on the nature of the game. The pitch is in fantastic condition and is clearly draining well, but the downpours have been torrential. The stewards standing by the side of the pitch are all wearing these sort of thin, plastic, see-through ponchos to try and keep dry, but they’re all soaking wet.
32 min: Spain win a corner and Pina remains the taker. It goes to the edge of the box but Paredes’ attempt is wide. Joel Fine has emailed:
I live in Belgium and have done for nearly twenty years. Belgians love their waffles, but for the life of me I just can’t understand why. I’ve tried endless versions of both sorts (Brussels and Liege) but neither makes it into my top 100 deserts. Yes, there is such a list.
I really want to see the list now and I do agree about the waffles. Not a fan either.
31 min: Pina and Putellas stand over the ball but it is Pina who takes it. The delivery is good but it doesn’t quite reach Putellas who made the run in. They come again with Gonzalez but Lichtfus collects.
29 min: Ike Proud has emailed and said:
Thank you for the opportunity to die on my favourite hill - i hate toast. Toast goes cold so quickly that it’s practically impossible to eat it while hot, and cold toast is basically just stale bread. Thanks again, and enjoy the match!
I don’t know if I have ever met someone who doesn’t like toast, keep these coming. On the pitch, Teulings has a yellow card for a foul on Putellas with Spain given a free kick.
27 min: I was about to tell you about the permutations of that Spain lead but Belgium changed that course. Spain aren’t shaken by it though and they are on the attack with Gonzalez’ attempt just wide.
25 min: They do say teams are most vulnerable after scoring and that proves it. I did not expect that at all. Game on.
Just like that. Wullaert crosses a beautiful ball from a corner and Vanhaeveremaet taps it in. What a goal. What a moment.
GOAL! Spain 1-1 Belgium (Vanhaevermaet, 24)
WOW.
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Putellas is a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner for a reason. Lopez lays it off to her and she finishes superbly. The dam is broken, goals are surely going to flow now.
GOAL! Spain 1-0 Belgium (Putellas, 22)
There it is.
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22 min: Ben Mock has emailed and said:
Steering away from the quickly-developing food controversy, I would just like to point out that Belgium’s coach received something called “The Order of the Falcon” in her native Iceland last year, and I just think that’s an infinitely cooler name than the MBEs, OBEs and the other BEs we give our British icons.
What a cracking fun fact, Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir received it for services to football. Back on the pitch now, Spain are looking deadly again with a block on a Lopez shot preventing an opener.
20 min: Vanhaevermaet is back to her feet and she is walking with ease so hopefully she is okay. Before she re-enters play Spain are off again and right now it feels like a when, not an if they score. Carmona takes a long range effort but narrowly misses – that would have been goal of the tournament worthy.
18 min: The rain is stopping which is good news for those in the stands but it may not impact play until the second half. There is a break in play currently with Vanhaevermaet down with injury, she is receiving some treatment.
17 min: Eurlings tries to link up with Vanhaevermaet but it has too much on it and so Spain can clear. They really need to take the opportunities when they have them as they are far and few between as things pan out in this match.
15 min: Belgium are holding on here a bit with Spain really ramping up their attack, Batlle crosses in but it’s repelled. Also if anyone is confused about the food chat, I have asked readers to send their unpopular food opinions to my email so get involved if you so wish.
12 min: Jonathan Bailey, who I am going to pretend is the Jonathan Bailey from Bridgerton, has emailed:
I am so tired of cheese on everything or the need to put cheese in everything. Cheese is fine on a board after dinner, I do not require it on anything else.
I didn’t think we could find one more controversial than chips but cheese may have done it. Back to the football and Spain come close again, this time through a cross from Carmona but her teammates don’t quite connect.
10 min: Belgium’s defence slip up and gift the ball to Spain but they can’t convert it into a goal. Putellas wins a corner though, Pina takes it and the delivery is good but Belgium clear.
8 min: My word that was almost the opener, Lopez loops a cross in and Pina is a whisker away from tapping that home. Belgium get away with that one.
8 min: Batlle with a lovely touch to keep a play alive but then she gives away a foul on Deloose after some great defensive work from the Belgian star. They immediately go up the other end of the pitch but Paredes wrestles possession back.
6 min: Belgium have set up very defensively, they have five at the back but it’s understandable why. In their last four games against Spain they have conceded 17 goals. But now they switch into attacking mode with Eurlings finding Toloba but her attempt is wide.
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4 min: Belgium try their first attack but it is easily cleared by Spain. Joe Pearson has emailed with something that could divide readers:
I know they are almost universally adored, but I think French Fries (aka Chips) are almost always dreadful. Limp, soggy, and disgusting. Give me a deep-fried Tater Tot any day instead. Now that’s good eatin’!
To be fair when I visited New Orleans earlier this year I tried a Tater Tot and they are incredible but chips are gorgeous too.
2 min: Spain scored extremely early into their opener against Portugal with less than two minutes on the clock and they looked to do the same here but Lopez’ strike is wide.
Kick-off! Spain 0-0 Belgium
Here we go. It is raining in Switzerland which is another component for the players to deal with. Also apologies, Spain did make one change from their opener with Irene Paredes in for Maria Mendez.
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The players are out and the anthems will soon follow, a cracking match one our hands.
Charles Antaki has got in touch to share his potentially unpopular food opinion:
If not doughnuts, then in honour of the (probably) victorious Spain team today what about churros? When I was in Spain the idea was always attractive, until I watched them being extruded from the, er, churros-extruding machine and into the hot oil. Quite put me off. Doughnut manufacture is probably equally off putting, but at least behind closed doors.
I didn’t even think about the cooking process, though there may be a few people reading this which may love them regardless. I have to admit I am partial to a churro.
The players will emerge soon, can Belgium cause an upset? Or will Spain continue their perfect start? All to come.
I’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch about all things Euro 2025 but on my blogs I like a bit of snack chat too. Yesterday we had a bit of a shortbread debate and so it feels like a safe space to share some food related unpopular opinions. For example, I cannot stand doughnuts. Email me and let me know yours.
Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir, Belgium coach, said:
When I got the offer to become Belgium’s coach, I already knew we would face Spain three times. That is a challenge as a coach, but at the same time I love that, because it is extra motivation when you can measure yourself against such teams. You learn from it and you only grow from it.
It’s not like we can surprise them anymore. They know our team very well. But we have studied them and found some weaknesses which we will try to exploit. So in that regards, I expect a different game.
Despite Belgium losing to Italy in their opener, they are more than capable of getting a result. They beat England 3-2 in the Nations League in April so Spain will not be under-estimating them. Spain’s manager Montse Tomé said:
I have looked at the most recent matches, of course, they’re recent and they still have the same head coach. We know Belgium very well and they have players of great quality
There has also been a defiant update from the England camp from Lauren Hemp, you can read more here:
Here is what happened yesterday in Group A’s games where Norway secured top of the group and Iceland were knocked out:
If Spain’s Laia Aleixandri or Belgium’s Sari Kees receive a yellow card in this game they will be suspended for the next one. That is because they received a yellow card in their respective opening games.
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Team news
The team news is in. Main news from favourites Spain is that Aitana Bonmati remains on the bench, as does goalkeeper Cata Coll. Bonmati was hospitalised last week with viral meningitis and Coll has had an illness recently. No changes for Spain.
Spain: Nanclares; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Carmona; Lopez, Patri, Putellas; Caldentey, Gonzalez, Pina
Subs: Sullastres, Cata Coll, Fernàndez, Méndez, Bonmatí, Del Castillo, Ouahabi, Martin-Prieto, L. García, Paralluelo, Redondo, M. Zubieta
Belgium, meanwhile, have made no changes to their team who lost 1-0 last time out.
Belgium: Lichtfus; Janssens, Tysiak, Kees, Cayman, Deloose; Toloba, Vanhaevermaet, Teulings; Wullaert, Eurlings
Subs: Evrard, Bastiaen, Philtjens, Van Kerkhoven, Wijnants, De Caigny, Dhont, Blom, Mertens, Iliano, Detruyer, Missipo
The last two times these two nations played one another it was world champions Spain who came out on top. In February Spain beat them 3-2 and in May they came away with a 5-1 result.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Group B match between favourites Spain and Belgium at Euro 2025.
Spain put out an impressive performance against Portugal in their opener in a 5-0 win, while Belgium fell to a 1-0 defeat to Italy. It is possible for both Belgium and Portugal to be knocked out today.
Belgium will be heading home if they lose this evening and Italy do not lose to Portugal, while Portugal will be out if they lose to Italy and Spain do not lose to Belgium.
Spain, though, could book their spot in the knockout stage this evening if they beat Belgium and Portugal do not beat Italy. The permutations can be a bit bewildering at times but as the picture changes we shall update you on all eventulaities.
The team news will be dropping soon so stay tuned before kick-off at 5pm BST.
