England v Spain: All you need to know for Euro 2022 quarter-final

England will face Spain in the quarter-finals of the European Women's Championship on Wednesday, in what will be their biggest test of the tournament so far.

Expectations for both nations are high, but the teams in the world rankings are not.

England have the advantage of having home advantage in BRIGHTON while Spain have the advantage of having a squad full of European titles. Everything you need to know is available with a place in the semifinals up for grabs.

What form are they in?

England, ranked eighth in the world, has gone 17 games in a row without a loss since the Dutchwoman became manager.

The Lionesses scored 14 goals in three games in the group stages, beating the previous tournament record of 11 by Germany.

Their 8-0 win over Norway in the second game was the largest margin of victory in the tournament's history.

"I hope we've done enough in the group stages to interest people and make them want to join us on our journey with us," said the captain. I hope they stay with us.

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Spain, ranked seventh in the world, won two of their games at the Euros and finished second behind Germany, who beat them 2-0.

Their two wins in the group weren't without drama either - they conceded within a minute against Finn but bounced back to win, before needing a 90th-minute winner over Danes.

The Spanish team aren't used to losing. Their 24 match winning streak was ended by Germany.

What test can Spain provide?

Spain are known for their possession-based football and have built their team around a core of Barcelona players who have won two of the last three European Championships.

The players have an innate ability to keep the ball and dominate possession, but they haven't been able to convert that into goals.

Despite having 17 shots, they only scored once against the Danes. They scored five goals in their three group games, which is less than all but two of the quarter-finalists.

"We know they have a lot of threats, but we also know there are a lot of opportunities to exploit them, so we will definitely try and do that," said England's Lauren Hemp.

The holder of the Ballon d'Or, which is awarded to the best footballer of the year, was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury.

Just a few weeks ago, Spain's record scorer, Jennifer Hermoso, was injured.

• How big of a loss is Alexia Putellas to Spain?

Head-to-head record

The teams played out a goalless draw at the Arnold Clark Cup in February.

Since that match, England have gone on to win nine games in a row, while the Lionesses haven't scored in 17 games.

England have never lost against Spain at home, with four wins and three draws, but the last team to win there was La Roja in 2020.

So who are the favourites?

England and Spain were both heavily fancied coming into the tournament, but the hosts' stock has gone up following strong performances in the group stages.

If England didn't win the Euros, it would be a failure, said Kenny Shiels, the opposition manager.

We talk about pressure and football together. "We are just trying to play football at our best and use our strengths to exploit the weaknesses of the opposing team."

The knockout stage is the same for the opponent as it is for us. It's great.

At their last three major tournaments, the Lionesses and Spain have gone out.

The England captain said that experience becomes valuable there. It's easier next time if you did something before. We have been in those situations before.

Spain's best performance in a major tournament came in 1997 when they reached the last four.

The expectation of their international players to deliver at the Euros is high due to Barcelona's recent success in domestic football.

Spain's performances at the Euros so far have been good, but maybe not as good as we were expecting, according to a former captain.

She said that Spain was not enjoying the game.

What else is there to look out for?

England could be without their manager after she tested positive for Covid.

She said she was ready to leave on Tuesday but would have to wait to see if she can come back.

Ellen White could equal Wayne Rooney's all-time England goal scoring record if she scores in the next match.

White has taken her total to 52, one behind Rooney.

• Why Beth Mead can win Golden Boot

Beth is leading the Golden Boot race with five goals and two assists in her first three games, while her teammate is second with four goals and one assist.

A year ago, he was left out of the Olympic squad.

"I know how bad it was for her," said the teammate. You need to wake up sometimes.

She deserves her spot in this team and that will mean a lot to her.