Spain punish Three Lions with world-class fightback

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England were ultimately defeated in their opening Uefa Nations League match but they could have won, yet might have lost by many more. For England supporters leaving Wembley on Saturday night, there were no grumbles this time about their team’s lack of ambition against a leading nation, only over individual defensive shortcomings. Yet at the end, England seemed to be no clearer about how to close out a game against a world-class opponent.

Speaking after the game Anthony Gordon admitted to mixed feelings after the defeat. “I’m really proud of how we performed, I thought we were exciting. After the summer, and all the controversy, we done everything everybody had asked from us. I felt like we gave them all their goals.” 

Spain started with eight of the team who began the World Cup final against Argentina in New Jersey plus the two substitutes — Nico Williams and Ferran Torres — who combined to score the winning goal. England played just five of the team which started the ill-fated semi-final against Argentina. It took just over a minute for the haphazard pattern of the game to be set as Marc Guehi was caught turning in possession by the dazzling teenage sensation Lamine Yamal who scored easily.

While Spain’s two previous opponents France and Argentina had no answer after going behind to them, England responded well. They surprisingly enjoyed the majority of first-half possession against a team renowned for monopolising the ball. However, Spain used it better, cutting through the England back-line at will. Striker Torres could have had a first-half hat trick had he been sharper with his finishing.

For England the space was out wide, with Anthony Gordon a constant threat on the left with his dribbling and Jarell Quansah frequently able to advance on the right. One wonders what the once more unused Trent Alexander-Arnold might have been able to produce in the same attacking positions. It took a mistake from Nico Williams high up for the field for England to equalise. Once again England demonstrated their quality in moments with Anderson, Bellingham and Gordon combining superbly in a rapier counter attack.

Unexpectedly ahead at the break through Kane’s header, England stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half and for a while threatened to steam-roller the world champions. They should have put the match beyond Spain’s reach when the referee awarded England a penalty after a VAR check. Kane’s miss after his standing foot slipped on the Wembley turf was the turning point of the game.

This time, going for more goals left the England defence exposed to Spain’s incisive counter-attacks and may go some way to explaining why their coach Thomas Tuchel erred on the side or caution with his much-maligned substitutions against Argentina. Then he tried to shore up the defence, now it creaked alarmingly lacking the protection of the injured Declan Rice.

As against Argentina, it was the opposition coach’s changes that proved decisive. England failed to heed the warning of Yamal’s narrow miss after a glorious one-two on the edge of the box. Instead, a minute later, Nico O’Reilly gave the ball to Dani Olmo whose pass allowed substitute Alex Baena time to pick his spot from the edge of the area, curling it beyond James Trafford. Baena then combined to set up another substitute Mikel Oyarzabal who scored the winner with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Gordon admitted after the missed penalty “there was definitely a momentum shift, with something like that, there always is in football. The difference is with a team like that is once they got the lead, you just can’t get the ball off them. I’ve experienced that when I played for Newcastle against Barcelona. I don’t know what it is, but the way they control a ball with the lead, is the best in the world.”

On the difference between the two teams, he added: “For me, there isn’t a gap — there’s just moments, who takes the moments better and tonight we gave them moments, which at the very, very highest level you cannot do. If you want to win football matches, you can’t do.”

England head to Prague knowing they pushed the world champions far harder than any other side this summer and having become the first team in 2026 to score twice against Spain and lead them during a match. Yet, once again, when push came to shove against a top side, Tuchel’s England are no better off at protecting a lead than any previous generation and unless they can defeat Spain in Madrid on November 15, another trophy has passed them by.

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