World champions Spain came from behind twice to beat England 3-2 at Wembley on Saturday evening, opening their UEFA Nations League campaign with a dramatic comeback win in front of a sold-out crowd. The result handed Thomas Tuchel's side defeat in their first game since a painful World Cup semi-final exit to Argentina.
A chaotic start at Wembley
Lamine Yamal gave Spain the lead inside the opening two minutes, capitalising 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. The world champions looked ready to run away with the contest, but England refused to fold.
England hit back through a fine team goal finished by Anthony Gordon in the 36th minute, before Kane had a golden chance to give England a two-goal cushion from the penalty spot 10 minutes into the second half but slipped slightly, crashing his shot against the bar. The captain had already levelled matters with a header, and Harry Kane rose in the centre of the box and powered a header past Unai Simón to complete England's turnaround, with Spain having gone from leading 1-0 to trailing 2-1 in just a few minutes.
Substitutes turn the game around
That missed penalty proved decisive. Spain's changes off the bench transformed the second half, with England punished for missing the penalty, and mistakes that led to Spain's first two goals, as substitute Alex Baena curled a low shot into the corner to level the game again, with Nico O'Reilly guilty of losing the ball close to goal.
Spain completed the turnaround with 16 minutes remaining. Bad errors from Guehi and O'Reilly helped Yamal and Baena score Spain's first two goals, and England were cut open through the match, including for Oyarzabal's winner, released by a through pass from Baena to tuck away the eventual winner. It was a similar story to the Euro 2024 final, where the same player also proved decisive against England.
Tuchel left to reflect
The England manager was left to lament fine margins after a result that leaves his side with work to do in the Nations League. Tuchel said his side had "a terrible start, the worst start possible", adding that "it makes it so difficult to be behind against this kind of team". He also stressed that "there will always be moments where you suffer against a team like this, the details matter," and that taking chances and reducing costly mistakes "was not in our favour today".
Spain's remarkable run continues
For Luis de la Fuente's side, the win extended an extraordinary record. Victory extends Spain's astonishing unbeaten run to 39 matches, a record for a European team. It also marked Spain's first outing since lifting the World Cup, underlining their status as the dominant force in international football heading into this new Nations League cycle.
England, playing their first match since a bruising World Cup exit, will now look to regroup before their next Nations League assignment, with Tuchel searching for answers to defensive lapses that have proven costly against the very best opposition.