BY GRACE ZIGAH
England suffered a dramatic opening-day defeat in their Nations League campaign after world champions Spain fought back to beat Thomas Tuchel’s side in a thrilling encounter at Wembley.
Spain needed barely two minutes to take the lead after a costly mistake from Marc Guehi. The England defender’s error presented Lamine Yamal with the opportunity to break through, and the Spanish forward calmly finished past goalkeeper James Trafford.
England survived further pressure from the visitors before producing a remarkable response before half-time. Anthony Gordon restored parity before Harry Kane completed England’s turnaround, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage at the interval.
The game swung again early in the second half when England were awarded a penalty after Jude Bellingham was brought down inside the box. Kane stepped up with the chance to extend England’s lead but missed from the spot, allowing Spain to remain within touching distance.
The reprieve proved decisive. Substitute Alex Baena capitalised on an error from Nico O’Reilly to level the contest before Mikel Oyarzabal completed Spain’s comeback with a composed dinked finish following a clinical attacking move.
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run to 39 matches and underlined the ruthlessness that has made the reigning world champions such a difficult opponent.
For England, the defeat highlighted the fine margins at the highest level. Individual mistakes gifted Spain opportunities, while Kane’s missed penalty denied the hosts the chance to establish a two-goal cushion.
Tuchel’s side will therefore be left to reflect on a match in which they showed enough attacking quality to trouble the world champions but were ultimately punished for defensive lapses and missed opportunities.
Spain’s ability to capitalise on England’s mistakes ultimately proved the difference at Wembley, giving the world champions three points and an early advantage in the Nations League campaign.
