England suffered a 3-2 loss to Spain in a thrilling Nations League curtain-raiser at Wembley, as Mikel Oyarzabal netted the winning goal after Harry Kane had fluffed a penalty. Thomas Tuchel’s team made a messy beginning, fought back to go 2-1 up before the interval, but were unable to preserve their advantage against the world champions.
Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead early following a Marc Guehi error, but Anthony Gordon and Kane flipped the match before the break. England then had a chance to increase their lead, only for Kane to lose his footing while taking a penalty and hit the crossbar.
England toil before discovering their groove
Spain at once exploited England’s defensive jitters, with Yamal capitalising on Guehi’s blunder within two minutes to score via the inside of the far post. Ferran Torres then had a goal disallowed for offside before James Trafford kept him out after more uncertain defending from the hosts.
Torres went close again later after Rodri threaded a pass to him, while Yamal produced a brilliant flick for Dani Olmo, who shot wide. England were finding it hard to deal with Spain’s intensity, but the visitors’ control started to wane as the first half wore on.
Elliot Anderson gained from a Nico Williams mistake before England sparked their comeback. Gordon passed to Jude Bellingham, who surged forward and returned the ball to the forward, enabling Gordon to drill a low 20-yard effort into the net in the 36th minute.
The Wembley mood shifted at once, and England finished the turnaround four minutes later. O’Reilly’s cross found Kane, whose header was converted into the net by Marc Cucurella after he could only deflect the ball.
Harry Kane squanders chance to add to lead
England came out after the break with more belief, with Jarell Quansah heading just over and Bellingham continuing to trouble Spain. The midfielder went down following a challenge from Rodri, leading VAR to send referee Davide Massa to the monitor.
Massa gave England a penalty, handing Kane the chance to make it 3-1. But the England captain slipped as he struck the ball in the 54th minute, kicking his standing foot before the attempt smashed against the crossbar.
Spain hit back straight away after the missed spot-kick. Substitute Alex Baena nearly set up a goal for Yamal with a backheel before grabbing the equaliser himself from 20 yards after Olmo intercepted a loose pass from O’Reilly.
England still had chances, with Bukayo Saka testing Spain with a whipped shot, but the visitors had regained command of the game and were starting to find more room in the final third.
Spain and Mikel Oyarzabal decide the thriller
Spain sealed their comeback in the 74th minute after a patient passing sequence that England could not disrupt. Baena provided for Oyarzabal, who chipped the ball over Trafford to restore Spain’s lead.
The goal proved decisive as England pushed forward in search of another equaliser. Tuchel made changes in an effort to change the game, while Spain kept threatening through Yamal.
Bellingham came closest during England’s late pressure, forcing Unai Simon into a save in stoppage time. The hosts could not find another breakthrough, though, and their return to the Nations League top tier ended with a 3-2 defeat.
Nations League loss leaves Tuchel with questions
The result delivered a chaotic start to Tuchel’s latest chapter with England, following the manager’s call for his side to embrace the chaos of English football. His players displayed attacking spirit after falling behind early, but Spain’s response after Kane’s penalty miss ultimately settled the match.
England had overturned Spain’s early lead and gone in at half-time ahead, only to give up that advantage after the break. The defeat leaves Tuchel with plenty to consider after a match in which his side produced both encouraging attacking moments and costly errors.
Wembley witnessed a game that swung repeatedly between the two sides, with Spain ultimately showing enough quality to recover from their first-half setback and secure the win through Oyarzabal.