World Cup champions Spain came into this contest 39 games unbeaten in all international competitions. Thomas Tuchel and England were knocked out of the tournament in the America’s at the semi-final stage, and a match-up against Spain, the team they would have played in the final had they not been defeated by Argentina, promised quality entertainment, and it delivered.

Both teams are placed in league A, group 3 in the UEFA Nations League Finals, and it would be reasonable to assume that both expect to progress to the knockout rounds later on in the season, with the other two teams in the group Czechia & Croatia, that match-up tonight ending 1-2.

England react swiftly after uncharacteristic Marc Guehi error

The first half was and end-to-end transition game, Marc Guehi getting pick-pocketed by Lamine Yamal pressing from behind was a collector’s item. From that moment, instead of Spain wrestling back the control like we’re so used to seeing, the hosts responded with two goals manufactured on the transitional style England are much more known for in the history books of the sport.

Anthony Gordon was consistently offering runs in behind the defense, and eventually grabbed a quick counter-attack goal from a turnover in the home defensive third, combining with Jude Bellingham after the Real Madrid man played him through a stretched Pau Cubarsi & Aymeric Laporte. Harry Kane nabbed himself a goal that kindly deflected off Marc Cucurella’s right thigh in for 2-1 on 40′.

Spain’s quality subs make the difference as England suffer more defensive errors

Luis de la Fuente’s side were not short of chances at the top end of the pitch, they had created 3 big ones and threatened Jame Trafford’s goal 8 times in the first half, with an xG of 1.88, the finishing touch was the only thing missing. And after Harry Kane missed a penalty for 3-1, a score-line that would have made things more uncomfortable for the visitors, that was the opportunity to make the changes.

Mikel Oyarzabal & Alex Baena came on 15 minutes into the second half, in their centre-forward & left-forward roles respectively, leading a much more aggressive press that challenged England to play into their high and wide fullbacks, Jarell Quansah & Nico O’Reilly, and the latter made a slow back-pass into Guehi that was pounced on immediately by Dani Olmo, who fed Baena at the edge of the box. Uncontested on his stronger foot, he netted the equaliser five mintues after his introduction.

Spain got hold of the game after that goal on 60 minutes, and were drawing England into areas that they were less comfortable defending, passing and then moving into the spaces they wanted to expose between the midfield and defensive lines, simple but effective. Oyarzabal chipped Trafford for 2-3, after Baena was found in the centre at the edge of England’s penalty area, and he saw Guehi had stepped up out of the defensive line, he played in Real Sociedad striker.

Tuchel frustrated by England build-up mistakes, but happy with intensity out of possession

Thomas Tuchel admitted that conceding the first goal so early was the “worst possible start” for his team, but that how they pressed unrelentingly in the opponent’s half was a good reaction, but the mistakes made the confidence a bit lower in terms of building up. “I think we had another two bad mistakes in the build-up situations and conceded two big chances, but then we grew into the game, we played more in the opponent’s half. We had an incredible number of high ball wins in the first half especially and pushed them back and got better and better with the ball.”

Both managers set their teams up to press high and touch tight for most of the game, and it was only after the third goal from Spain had gone in that the game looked decided, as Spain had more chances they squandered on the break as England tried to get back onto level terms.

This game served as a high-intensity brawl, and two of the best teams in the tournament for definite. Spain possess the elite technical and physical quality to outplay any other of their contemporary’s, and the game intelligence to out-think any side on the day though, and now they’re 40 games unbeaten, will they be stopped in this tournament, or will they go invincible all the way to lift the trophy next year?

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