Spain defeated England 3-2 at “Wembley“ in the first round of League A, Group A3 of the Nations League. The world champions took an early lead, allowed a turnaround to 1-2, but came to victory after Harry Kane missed a penalty and goals from Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Lamin Yamal opened the scoring in the second minute after a mistake in the home defense. England responded with a stronger period at the end of the first half. Anthony Gordon equalised in the 36th minute after a quick attack started by Jude Bellingham, and four minutes later Kane made it 2-1.
The key moment came in the 55th minute. After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded for a foul by Rodri on Bellingham. Kane slipped during the execution and sent the ball against the crossbar. Spain equalised in the 60th minute through Baena, and Oyarzabal shaped the final score in the 74th.
Tuchel: After the tenth minute we were the better team
Thomas Tuchel defended England's performance, despite his team starting the campaign with a loss. “After the tenth minute I think we were the better team“, the coach said after the match. According to him, England created enough chances, but were punished for their mistakes.
Tuchel described the match as a match with positive elements for his team, but also with problems in the defense. Sky Sports's analysis emphasized the contrast between England's strong attack and individual mistakes that allowed Spain to get back into the match.
De la Fuente admits to a decline after the turnaround
Luis de la Fuente did not hide that Spain lost control of the match after their initial advantage. “We had four minutes of exclusion“, said the Spanish coach, commenting on the period in which England scored two goals and turned the score around.
However, Spain reacted after the break and took advantage of Kane's pass. Baena equalized, and Oyarzabal completed the turnaround. For the world champion, it was a victory in the first match after the triumph of the 2026 World Cup and another success against England after the final of Euro 2024.
The media saw a familiar problem for England
The English analysis of the Guardian defined the defeat as a different version of the team's familiar problem: a strong start or a good period, followed by a decline under the pressure of the opponent. The publication notes that England had moments in which they made it difficult for Spain, but were unable to maintain their lead.
Spain started the tournament with three points, and England was left without an asset after their first match. Also in Group A3 are Croatia and the Czech Republic. England visit the Czech Republic on September 29, while Spain host Croatia the same day.
Sources: Sky Sports, Guardian