Across the 90 minutes, the visitors created the slightly better chances. Spain finished with 15 shots and 1.99 xG, compared to England’s 12 attempts and 1.51 xG. The key difference, however, was Spain’s pressing, which repeatedly forced errors in England’s build-up.
Tuchel shuffles England as Spain leave key players on the bench
Thomas Tuchel was without several important players. Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento were unavailable. James Trafford was preferred to Jordan Pickford in goal, with Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly forming the back four. Elliot Anderson, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jude Bellingham featured further forward, while Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka supported Harry Kane.
Spain also stopped short of fielding their strongest possible XI. Pedri, Baena and Oyarzabal all started on the bench. Luis de la Fuente went with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz in central midfield, Dani Olmo further forward, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams out wide and Ferran Torres through the middle.
Spain expose England’s problems playing out from the back
England were determined to build short from the back. Trafford and the centre-backs looked to draw Spain forward before trying to play through the first line of pressure. The visitors, however, closed the short passing lanes aggressively and stepped up quickly whenever the ball went backwards.
England never looked entirely comfortable with that approach. Passing options were often limited, decisions were sometimes delayed under pressure and the distances between the defence and midfield were not always ideal. With Spain pressing so aggressively, Guéhi, Konsa and Trafford repeatedly had to find solutions with very little time. The resulting mistakes became a recurring theme rather than isolated incidents.
That was exactly how Spain took the lead in the second minute. Guéhi was unable to find a forward option, turned back and was immediately pressed by Yamal. The winger won possession, ran through on Trafford and finished precisely off the inside of the post into the far corner.
England initially persisted with the same build-up. Spain continued to win the ball high up the pitch and could have extended their lead quickly. Ferran Torres headed in from a Fabián Ruiz cross but was narrowly offside.
The striker then missed two major chances. He first failed to beat Trafford one-on-one after being released by Yamal and later sent another clear opportunity wide. Olmo also went close after an inventive backheel from Yamal.
Gordon sparks a sudden England turnaround
Spain controlled the opening phase, but England gradually found another route forward. Instead of patiently constructing every attack, the hosts began looking for quicker, more vertical transitions after regaining possession. Gordon and Bellingham benefited in particular.
In the 36th minute, Nico Williams slipped and lost possession before Anderson immediately launched the counter. Gordon combined with Bellingham, received the return pass and finished the move with a low strike for 1-1.
The equaliser triggered England’s best spell of the match. Just four minutes later, O’Reilly crossed from the left half-space. Kane got in front of Aymeric Laporte and headed towards goal, with Cucurella getting an unfortunate touch on the ball as it went in for 2-1.
Gordon was one of England’s standout performers. Alongside his goal, he completed 20 of 23 passes, won seven duels and recovered possession five times. Bellingham was also central to England’s most dangerous attacks and created five shooting opportunities.
Kane’s miss keeps Spain in the contest
England began the second half with real intensity. In the 52nd minute, Bellingham drove into the penalty area and went down under a challenge from Rodri. After a VAR review, referee Davide Massa awarded a penalty.
Kane had the chance to make it 3-1. His standing foot slipped during the run-up, however, and his effort crashed against the crossbar. Instead of opening up a two-goal advantage, England left Spain firmly in the game.
De la Fuente reacted immediately. Ferran and Nico Williams were withdrawn, with Oyarzabal and Baena introduced. Both substitutions changed the direction of Spain’s attack.
Baena and Oyarzabal turn the game again
Baena needed only five minutes to make an impact. Once again, the goal stemmed from an error in England’s build-up. O’Reilly played a loose pass into a central area, Olmo reacted quickly and laid the ball off to Baena. The substitute created a yard of space for himself and finished to make it 2-2 in the 60th minute.
Spain regained greater control after that. Pedri replaced Fabián Ruiz soon afterwards and added more security in possession through midfield. England remained dangerous through Bellingham and Saka, but no longer found the spaces Gordon had exploited before the break as regularly.
In the 74th minute, De la Fuente’s substitutions paid off again. Baena picked out Oyarzabal between the England defenders, and the forward kept his composure in front of Trafford to complete the turnaround.
England’s build-up remains the biggest concern
England pushed again in the closing stages, but Spain managed the lead well and saw the game out. For the hosts, the biggest issue remained their short build-up against aggressive pressure, while their faster transitions proved considerably more effective.
Spain, meanwhile, showed both the strength of their pressing and the depth of their squad. Baena and Oyarzabal ultimately decided the match after coming off the bench. England travel to Prague to face the Czech Republic on Tuesday, while Spain host Croatia in Seville.
