Midfielder who likes to paint made her age-group debut against England and is ready for the step up to the Euro 2022 quarter-final
t was here,” Laia Aleixandri says. “here.” The Spain midfielder stands on the grass, boats floating gently by on the Thames, St George’s cross fluttering from the roof of the 13th-century manor house across the lawn, and smiles. It is the perfect place to paint and, a lover of art, Aleixandri has brought her canvases with her, an escape from it all. It is also the perfect place to play and, it turns out, where it all began. “On this actual pitch,” she says.
This may be the last time she sees it for a while too, unless they can get through their quarter-final on Wednesday night – and it is their hosts who stand before them. As in 1996, England face Spain. “It will be very competitive: you see that just in the results, but we’re analysing them closely,” says Aleixandri. “They’ve scored a lot of goals, started games well. What stands out for me is the wingers: the damage they can do from there, the crosses they get in: they’re very strong.
They may have to, but there could be something in the way that England play that suits Spain, that is different, at least. Both Denmark’s and Germany’s coaches admitted changing their approach to face the, willingly ceding possession at least partly because of a recognition that they could not compete for it. England are less likely to, Aleixandri says, by virtue of how good they are. They have also not yet faced a side that wanted to take the ball from them, as Spain will seek to do.
“I know a few of them because I have been playing against them at junior level for years – Ellie Roebuck, Lauren Hemp, Georgia Stanway, Chloe Kelly – but I haven’t spoken to many personally.” Soon she will: eight of the England squad will be her teammates at Manchester City next season.Photograph: Stephanie Meek/CameraSport/Getty Images
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