Barça's Ballon d'Or superstar Aitana Bonmatí fires Spain to Euros final

FC Barcelona are powering the Spanish national side to another major international tournament final. 

The Spanish women's national team will face England on Sunday in the Swiss city of Basel after Aitana Bonmatí fired late in extra time to clinch the win.  

Wednesday's victory was the Spanish women's team's first ever win over Germany, and it means they will contest the European Championships final for the first time ever, too, having been knocked out of the last three editions in the quarter-finals. 

Catalan midfielder Bonmatí, winner of the last two Ballon d'Or awards, cleverly turned her marker after being sent through by Athenea del Castillo and found a narrow angle at the near post to beat Berger in goal for Germany for the game's only goal. 

The Barça ace told Spain's national broadcasters after the game that she was aware in advance of the game of the opposition goalkeeper leaving gaps at her near post, and she exploited that knowledge to the maximum with the only goal of a tightly-contested semi-final in Zurich.

In the starting XI for Spain were seven FC Barcelona players. This is also the first tournament that Spain are availing of Barça's all-star midfield trio of Bonmatí, other two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, and Patri Guijarro, who has been one of the best players of the tournament so far. 

Also in the starting lineup was Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey, who spent ten years at the Catalan giants before leaving for England last summer. 

In fact, Caldentey will face up against various Arsenal teammates in Sunday's showpiece encounter, including Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive goal, and Michelle Agyemang, who scored England's first in the semi-final against Italy. 

Spain-England rivalry

The Spain-England matchup will provide the latest iteration of an intriguing rivalry that has been growing in women's football in recent years. 

England beat Spain in the knockout round on their way to winning the 2022 European Championships, while one year later Spain defeated England in the World Cup final. 

Most recently, the teams late last June in the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, in a Nations League group match, where Catalan supersub Clàudia Pîna struck twice to see Spain come from behind to win.  

In addition, the two countries met in last summer's men's European Championships final, where again Spain came out on top.