Written By | Sports Desk
A two-minute stunner, a four-minute English blitz, a penalty that hit the bar and a late Oyarzabal dink
Search
LONDON
There are defeats that sting and defeats that teach. England's 3–2 loss to Spain at Wembley on Saturday night managed both, and for about twenty minutes in the second half it looked like it might be neither. It looked like a statement win.
Instead, Spain are still unbeaten, now 39 games in a row. Their late winner came from Mikel Oyarzabal, the same man who broke English hearts in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. He did it again on Saturday.
The worst possible start
This was England's first match since a painful summer at the World Cup, and their first chance to show that Thomas Tuchel's side had moved on. Spain arrived as world champions, winners of football's biggest tournament for the second time, and it took them less than two minutes to make the point.
Marc Guehi was caught in possession near his own box. Lamine Yamal took the ball and curled it past an onrushing James Trafford before most of the crowd had settled into their seats. Tuchel did not sugar-coat it afterwards. "The start was terrible, the worst start possible," he said.
For the next half-hour Spain threatened to run away with it. Ferran Torres had a header ruled out for offside, then forced a big save from Trafford, then dragged another clear chance wide of the post. England's attempts to play out from the back kept giving the ball away. Wembley was quiet.
Four minutes that changed everything
Then England did to Spain what Spain usually do to everyone else. On 36 minutes, Jude Bellingham slipped Anthony Gordon through on the counter, and Gordon, who joined Yamal at Barcelona this summer, fired into the corner. Four minutes later Nico O'Reilly chipped a ball into the box, Harry Kane met it with his head, and it went in off Marc Cucurella. England went in at half-time 2–1 up, and Wembley was loud again.
The momentum carried into the second half. Jarell Quansah headed a Bellingham cross over from close range. Then Bellingham went down in the box under a challenge from Rodri. Italian referee Davide Massa waved play on, but VAR sent him to the monitor, and the replay showed Rodri had clipped him. Penalty.
The slip
Kane is one of the most reliable penalty takers in the world. This time his standing foot gave way as he struck the ball, and it smashed against the crossbar. Instead of 3–1, it stayed 2–1, and the stadium groaned.
Tuchel saw that as the turning point. "Unfortunately, we couldn't convert the penalty, which maybe would have been the decisive moment," he said, "because I think then Spain would have maybe, for the first time, believed that their long run of unbeaten games ends here."
Spain do not need to be asked twice. With half an hour left, substitute Álex Baena, five minutes after coming on, curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 2–2. Bukayo Saka nearly answered straight away, his effort flying inches wide of the top corner. Then, with 15 minutes to go, Baena threaded a delicate pass to Oyarzabal, who lifted the ball over Trafford as calmly as if he were in training. Bellingham forced a save from Unai Simón in stoppage time, but the last English corner was cleared and Luis de la Fuente's side took the points.
What Tuchel took from it
The England manager was more upbeat than the scoreline suggested. He praised his team's reaction to the early goal and their work without the ball against a team that loves to keep it. "The effort against the ball is also identity," Tuchel said. "The effort against the ball and the bravery and courage to have the high ball wins was outstanding."
Gordon was blunter, telling reporters England had effectively given the win away through their own mistakes. Both views are fair. England created enough to win and defended with more energy than they have for a long time, but two errors in their own half and a missed penalty against the best team in the world will cost you.
The bigger picture
The Nations League is often treated as filler between tournaments, but this was a reminder of what it can be when two of the best teams in the world take it seriously. The last time these sides met in this competition, in September 2018, England had just reached a World Cup semi-final and Spain had been knocked out in the last 16. Eight years on, the positions are reversed. Spain are the champions; England are the team still trying to prove they can win the big one.
It was a busy weekend of new beginnings around Europe, too. Zinedine Zidane won his first game as France coach, in Turkey, and Jürgen Klopp is building a new identity with Germany. England's group will not get easier.
What this means for fans
If you are an England supporter, there is real reason for hope. The first-half comeback showed a team that can hurt anyone on the break, with Gordon, Kane, Bellingham and Saka all dangerous. The worry is the build-up play from the back. Against a high-pressing side like Spain, it gifted them the opening goal and several more chances. Expect Tuchel to work on that before the next international window.
For neutral fans, Spain remain the team to watch. Yamal is still only 19 and already decisive in the biggest games, and the depth of the squad showed when two substitutes, Baena and Oyarzabal, decided the match.
The final word
Tuchel said England had failed to land the "decisive punch" when Spain were on the ropes. That sums the night up. England were good enough to hurt the world champions, but not ruthless enough to beat them. Until they are, Spain's unbeaten run will keep growing, and England will keep thinking about a penalty that hit the bar.
