Spain made a terrible performance against Brazil. However, there was a sense that Spain’s attacking superstars could still find a way back and overcome a shambolic defensive outing. It just wasn’t their night.

I’m not giving up on La Roja, though. I expect Spain to be fired up after the setback against Brazil, and the prospect of going home without a medal is unimaginable for a team of champions, who are coming from a victory in the World Cup 2023 and the Champions League with FC Barcelona.

We could see Montse Tomé freshen things up for this contest given the heavy minutes that key players have logged in the knockout rounds, and that likely means a starting spot for Alexia Putellas.

The decision to leave Putellas on the bench for the semifinal was strange for me. She was a bright spark when she came on, and Spain are at their best when she’s connecting with Barcelona team mate Aitana Bonmati.

This ultra-talented Spanish team didn’t make their 76% possession count against Brazil, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. La Roja racked up 27 shots as Tomé turned to just about every attacking option in her squad over the course of the 90 minutes.

Whichever front three starts for La Roja, I see them creating chances. But it’s hard to say the same thing about a banged-up German attack that’s played 240 minutes of football at these Olympics without scoring a single goal.

Though Germany was lethal in the final third during the group stage, they’ve been shut out by both Canada and the USWNT since then. They managed just one shot on target against the Canadians in the regular time. They never weren’t at the same level as their rivals in the quarter and semi finals.

The Germans could also be dealing with key absences again here. Alexandra Popp missed the semifinal due to an illness and could return to chase the bronze medal, but Lea Schüller’s tournament may be over after suffering a knee injury. Defender Marina Hegering is another injury doubt.

With an impressive attack, the Spaniards are well-placed to unlock a solid German defense that’s coming off two exhausting games. Salma Paralluelo was a constant threat in the semifinal, Putellas looked sharp and Bonmati was busy as usual. If Tomé can press the right buttons with her team selection, I expect the Spain forwards to grab the headlines today.

Germany have shown impressive solidity and discipline in the knockout rounds, but it’s worth remembering that they were destroyed by the USWNT during the group stage and may be forced to reorganize their starting line-up due to a growing injury list.

Neither team will want to leave the Olympics empty-handed but it’s hard to see Spain without any medal here. And we could see some reaction and pride after their semifinal horror show against Brazil.

西班牙队对巴西队的表现很糟糕。然而，西班牙队的进攻巨星们仍然可以找到反击的方法，克服混乱的防守。这不是他们的夜晚。

但我不会放弃拉罗哈的。我希望西班牙队在与巴西的比赛中受挫后能够振作起来，对于一支在2023年世界杯和巴塞罗那队的欧冠联赛中取得胜利的冠军球队来说，没有奖牌回家的前景是不可想象的。

鉴于关键球员在淘汰赛中都有大量的上场时间，我们可以看到蒙特塞·托马斯在这场比赛中带来了新鲜的东西，这可能意味着亚历克西亚·普特拉斯将获得首发位置。

半决赛让普特拉斯坐在替补席上的决定对我来说很奇怪。当她上场时，她是一个明亮的火花，当她与巴塞罗那队友艾塔娜·邦马蒂(Aitana Bonmati)配合时，西班牙正处于最佳状态。

这支极具天赋的西班牙队在对阵巴西的比赛中没有达到76%的控球率，但这并不是因为缺乏努力。在90分钟的比赛中，托马雷几乎用上了球队的每一种进攻方式，拉罗亚一共射门27次。

无论哪位前锋首发，我都能看到他们创造机会。但对于在本届奥运会上踢了240分钟却一球未进的德国攻击手来说，就很难这么说了。

尽管德国队在小组赛最后三分之一的位置上是致命的，但自那以后，他们一直被加拿大和USWNT拒之门外。他们在常规时间对阵加拿大时只射正了一次。在四分之一决赛和半决赛中，他们从未与对手处于同一水平。

德国人也可能在这里再次面对关键的缺阵。亚历山德拉·波普因病错过了半决赛，有可能复出争夺铜牌，但莱娅·施<e:1>勒的比赛可能会在膝盖受伤后结束。后卫玛丽娜·海格林也有受伤的疑问。

凭借令人印象深刻的进攻，西班牙人很好地打开了德国坚实的防线，这是两场令人筋疲力尽的比赛。萨尔玛·帕鲁埃洛在半决赛中一直是一个威胁，普特拉斯看起来很犀利，邦马蒂也像往常一样忙碌。如果托马斯能按对她的阵容选择，我希望西班牙前锋今天能占据头条。

德国队在淘汰赛中表现出了令人印象深刻的稳定性和纪律性，但值得记住的是，他们在小组赛阶段就被美国女足击败了，由于伤病名单不断增加，他们可能被迫重组首发阵容。

两支球队都不想空手而归，但很难看到西班牙在奥运会上没有奖牌。在半决赛对阵巴西的恐怖表演后，我们可以看到一些反应和骄傲。