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England embraced the chaos but failed to see off Spain as the world champions punished Harry Kane's missed spot-kick to secure a 3-2 comeback win in Saturday's helter-skelter Nations League opener.
England embraced the chaos but failed to see off Spain as the world champions punished Harry Kane’s missed spot-kick to secure a 3-2 comeback win in Saturday’s helter-skelter Nations League opener.
Thomas Tuchel’s men returned to action 10 weeks on from the agonising World Cup semi-final collapse to Argentina looking to lift the mood against the side which defeated them in the Euro 2024 final. The win at Wembley means Spain’s unbeaten run has stretched to 39 games now. Lamine Yamal capitalised on a Marc Guéhi error to give Spain a second-minute lead which they could easily have added to in a wild first half that England ended on top.
Tuchel spoke of the need to “embrace the chaos” of English football in the build-up and Anthony Gordon’s fine goal on the break was quickly followed by a header from Ballon d’Or favourite Kane. The skipper had the chance to extend their lead after the break only to strike the crossbar as he slipped taking a penalty, allowing Spain to highlight their quality and England’s problems under pressure.
Substitute Álex Baena levelled after Nico O’Reilly coughed up the ball and patient play ended with Euro 2024 match-winner Mikel Oyarzabal coolly putting Spain back ahead. England pushed for a point but their first game back in the Nations League top tier ended in a loss which leaves Tuchel with plenty to ponder. A sold-out Wembley witnessed a breathless encounter from the outset, with James Trafford, surprisingly selected ahead of Jordan Pickford, conceding inside two minutes.
Guehi was unsettled by Spain’s intensity and inexplicably turned into the trouble he was attempting to avoid, with Yamal taking the ball and scoring off the inside of the far post. England looked punch-drunk and World Cup final hero Ferran Torres soon saw a strike ruled out for offside before being denied by Trafford after some hotchpotch defending. Torres turned across the face of goal when slipped in by Rodri as the hesitant hosts’ sloppiness welcomed on the world champions.
Spain looked on a different level, epitomised by Yamal’s inspired flick for Dani Olmo to slam wide, but England drew level on the break after Elliot Anderson seized on a Nico Williams slip. Gordon smartly played on to Jude Bellingham, who burst over the halfway line and played through the forward to score a low 20-yard equaliser in the 36th minute.
The mood inside Wembley had transformed and, moments after bending agonisingly wide, Kane gave England a 40th-minute lead as he stretched to meet O’Reilly’s cross with a header which Marc Cucurella could only cushion into his own net. The former Chelsea left-back saw a cross clip a post as Spain pushed for a leveller before a break that England returned from brightly, with Jarell Quansah powering just over.
Bellingham was proving a handful and went to ground after a challenge by Rodri, with referee Davide Massa sent to the monitor by the VAR to review an incident which ended with him pointing to the spot. Kane stepped up but slipped as he struck the ball in the 54th minute, kicking it into his standing foot and on to the crossbar. Spain capitalised and the freshly introduced Baena made an instant impact.
Having seen Yamal go agonisingly close after finding him with an inspired backheel, the substitute drew Spain level from 20 yards after O’Reilly’s lax pass was cut out by Olmo. Bukayo Saka went close with a whipped strike, but Spain had gone up a notch and regained the lead in the 74th minute. Patient build-up that England could only dream of ended with Baena putting in Oyarzabal to lift over Trafford.
It proved the decisive effort despite Yamal continuing to threaten and Tuchel twisting in a bid to find another equaliser, piling on late pressure as Bellingham stung Unai Simon’s palms in stoppage time.
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