Bukayo Saka leaves Jamie Carragher red-faced over six-word comment after England heartache

Bukayo Saka’s disappointing performance against Marc Cucurella silenced Jamie Carragher after the pundit predicted he’d skin the Spanish defender. Spain triumphed over the Three Lions with a 2-1 victory in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final, where Cucurella played a pivotal role in securing Spain’s fourth European Championship title.

Nico Williams netted the opener for La Roja, who dominated the first half of the final. Cole Palmer’s late goal seemed to have extended the match into extra time with his expert finish midway through the second 45, but Cucurella delivered a precise cross that Mikel Oyarzabal converted past Jordan Pickford, sealing Spanish victory.

The Chelsea left-back emerged as one of the stars of the tournament, defying expectations in his debut major international competition with his robust display against England. It was particularly the case in his duel with Arsenal’s Saka, proving Carragher wrong in the process, reports the Mirror.

The Sky Sports analyst had previously expressed confidence in Saka’s ability to dominate Cucurella, citing the left-back’s previous difficulties in handling him having remarked: “I think Saka can have [Cucurella] on toast, don’t worry about that.

“I’ve seen that so often in the Premier League. We’ve seen it before, he gives him huge problems. And not just Cucurella he’s given almost every left-back huge problems in this tournament and he’s probably been England’s best performer.”

The 25-year-old Cucurella shrugged off the concerns of the Liverpool icon, as well as Manchester United legend Gary Neville, with Neville previously expressing his doubts about Cucurella’s consistency in Spain’s team as potentially detrimental to their chances of winning Euro 2024.

During the group stages, Neville said: “The Spanish defence, it’s got a lot of experience now but there’s something just missing from Spain that makes you feel like they’re going to go all the way. I have to say that him being at left back is a good example of why we think that”.

However, having silenced his doubters, Cucurella couldn’t resist a cheeky dig at the pundit after a triumphant performance by posting on social media alongside his critical remarks. He quipped: “We went all the way Gary. Thanks for your support”.