![\"England](\"https:\/\/swoosh0018.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/825277050_18058652561569871_4026046827535642826_n-scaled.jpg\")
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England 2\u20133 Spain: A Wembley Thriller That England Let Slip<\/p>\n
Football can be terribly cruel.<\/p>\n
One minute you’re leading the world champions at Wembley.<\/p>\n
The next you’ve got a penalty to make it 3\u20131.<\/p>\n
And then, somehow, you’re standing there at full-time wondering how on earth you’ve lost 3\u20132.<\/p>\n
Welcome back, international football.<\/p>\n
England 2. Spain 3.<\/p>\n
Five goals.<\/p>\n
A missed penalty.<\/p>\n
A comeback.<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal doing Lamine Yamal things.<\/p>\n
And enough defensive mistakes to keep Thomas Tuchel awake for a few nights.<\/p>\n
If this is how the Nations League intends to begin, I’m listening.<\/p>\n
Because this one was entertaining.<\/p>\n
Frustrating if you’re English.<\/p>\n
Delicious if you’re Spanish.<\/p>\n
And for the neutral?<\/p>\n
Simply Sublime.<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal Didn’t Take Long<\/p>\n
Two minutes.<\/p>\n
That’s all Spain needed.<\/p>\n
England barely had time to settle into the evening before Lamine Yamal punished a mistake at the back and put Spain ahead.<\/p>\n
Of course it was Yamal.<\/p>\n
Because apparently being one of the most exciting footballers on the planet isn’t enough.<\/p>\n
He also needs to ruin your evening before you’ve properly sat down.<\/p>\n
England gave possession away.<\/p>\n
Spain pounced.<\/p>\n
Yamal finished.<\/p>\n
0\u20131.<\/p>\n
Against Spain, mistakes are expensive.<\/p>\n
Against this Spain?<\/p>\n
They are practically luxury goods.<\/p>\n
You cannot hand this team opportunities and expect them to politely return the ball.<\/p>\n
England’s Response Was Excellent<\/p>\n
And this is where England deserve credit.<\/p>\n
They didn’t collapse.<\/p>\n
They didn’t retreat into themselves.<\/p>\n
They responded.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gordon made it 1\u20131 after 36 minutes, finishing off a lovely England counterattack.<\/p>\n
Four minutes later?<\/p>\n
Harry Kane.<\/p>\n
2\u20131 England.<\/p>\n
Suddenly Wembley was bouncing.<\/p>\n
Suddenly Spain looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
And suddenly England looked like the team we keep being told they can become.<\/p>\n
Fast.<\/p>\n
Direct.<\/p>\n
Aggressive.<\/p>\n
Brave.<\/p>\n
This was the England supporters want to see.<\/p>\n
Not endless safe possession that goes sideways, backwards, sideways again and eventually arrives with the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n
Attack.<\/p>\n
Take risks.<\/p>\n
Make world-class opponents uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
For a spell, England did exactly that.<\/p>\n
And Spain didn’t like it.<\/p>\n
Then Came THE Moment<\/p>\n
England began the second half strongly.<\/p>\n
They had momentum.<\/p>\n
They were leading 2\u20131.<\/p>\n
Then Jude Bellingham was brought down.<\/p>\n
Penalty.<\/p>\n
Harry Kane.<\/p>\n
This is normally the part where everybody begins walking back towards the halfway line because we know what’s coming.<\/p>\n
Kane steps up.<\/p>\n
Kane scores.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Except…<\/p>\n
Not this time.<\/p>\n
He slipped.<\/p>\n
The ball crashed against the crossbar.<\/p>\n
And Wembley collectively made that horrible football noise.<\/p>\n
You know the one.<\/p>\n
That enormous:<\/p>\n
OOOOOOHHHHHHH.<\/p>\n
It should have been 3\u20131.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t.<\/p>\n
And against Spain, you just knew there might be a price to pay.<\/p>\n
There was.<\/p>\n
A very expensive one.<\/p>\n
Spain Smelled Blood<\/p>\n
Seven minutes later, England made another mistake.<\/p>\n
Spain didn’t ask twice.<\/p>\n
\u00c1lex Baena, introduced from the bench, made it 2\u20132 on the hour.<\/p>\n
And this is what elite teams do.<\/p>\n
You give them life.<\/p>\n
They take it.<\/p>\n
You make an error.<\/p>\n
They punish it.<\/p>\n
You fail to finish them when you have the opportunity.<\/p>\n
They come back and make you regret it.<\/p>\n
Spain weren’t necessarily blowing England away.<\/p>\n
They didn’t need to.<\/p>\n
England kept opening the door.<\/p>\n
Spain kept walking through it.<\/p>\n
Oyarzabal. Again.<\/p>\n
Then came the winner.<\/p>\n
Minute 74.<\/p>\n
Mikel Oyarzabal.<\/p>\n
England 2\u20133 Spain.<\/p>\n
Game turned completely around.<\/p>\n
Spain’s substitutes had changed the match.<\/p>\n
Baena equalised.<\/p>\n
Oyarzabal scored the winner.<\/p>\n
That’s not a bad afternoon from the bench.<\/p>\n
And Oyarzabal seems to have developed a rather inconvenient habit of appearing in extremely important moments for Spain.<\/p>\n
Composed finish.<\/p>\n
World champions ahead.<\/p>\n
Wembley suddenly considerably quieter.<\/p>\n
Funny how quickly football changes.<\/p>\n
At 2\u20131 England, with a penalty coming, this match looked like it could become a statement victory.<\/p>\n
Twenty-one minutes after Kane hit the bar?<\/p>\n
England were losing 3\u20132.<\/p>\n
Football.<\/p>\n
Absolutely ridiculous game.<\/p>\n
The Frustrating Thing? England Were Good<\/p>\n
This wasn’t a 3\u20132 defeat where you throw everything away and start again.<\/p>\n
There were periods when England looked genuinely excellent.<\/p>\n
That matters.<\/p>\n
They went toe-to-toe with the reigning world champions.<\/p>\n
They created chances.<\/p>\n
They scored twice.<\/p>\n
They had the opportunity to score a third.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gordon caused problems.<\/p>\n
Jude Bellingham was involved.<\/p>\n
Harry Kane scored.<\/p>\n
There were moments when England moved the ball quickly and attacked Spain with real purpose.<\/p>\n
Thomas Tuchel has something to work with.<\/p>\n
The problem?<\/p>\n
You cannot play Spain for 60 good minutes.<\/p>\n
You need 90.<\/p>\n
England’s Mistakes Were Brutal<\/p>\n
This is where the match was lost for me.<\/p>\n
Not because Spain produced 90 minutes of untouchable football.<\/p>\n
Because England gave them opportunities.<\/p>\n
The opening goal came after England were caught in possession.<\/p>\n
Spain’s equaliser followed another giveaway.<\/p>\n
Against an ordinary side, perhaps you survive those moments.<\/p>\n
Against Spain?<\/p>\n
Good luck.<\/p>\n
This is a team full of players who see mistakes before you’ve even realised you’ve made them.<\/p>\n
The lesson is simple.<\/p>\n
If England want to beat the very best teams consistently, concentration cannot be optional.<\/p>\n
Not for five minutes.<\/p>\n
Not for one pass.<\/p>\n
Not against Spain.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gordon Was a Big Positive<\/p>\n
I enjoyed Gordon’s performance.<\/p>\n
Energy.<\/p>\n
Directness.<\/p>\n
Running at defenders.<\/p>\n
And importantly…<\/p>\n
A goal.<\/p>\n
There is something refreshing about a winger whose first instinct is:<\/p>\n
Let’s go at them.<\/p>\n
International football can sometimes become too cautious.<\/p>\n
Too tactical.<\/p>\n
Too afraid of making the mistake.<\/p>\n
Gordon brings chaos.<\/p>\n
Good chaos.<\/p>\n
The kind defenders don’t enjoy.<\/p>\n
His equaliser was part of England’s best spell of the match and exactly the type of football Tuchel should want more of.<\/p>\n
Simply Sublime for: attacking without asking permission.<\/p>\n
Harry Kane \u2013 Hero and Heartbreak<\/p>\n
Football summed up in one evening.<\/p>\n
Scores England’s second.<\/p>\n
Has the chance to make it 3\u20131.<\/p>\n
Hits the bar.<\/p>\n
England eventually lose 3\u20132.<\/p>\n
Strikers live in these moments.<\/p>\n
Had that penalty gone in, we’d probably be talking about a famous England victory over the world champions.<\/p>\n
Instead, it’s the moment everyone will remember.<\/p>\n
That’s football.<\/p>\n
I wouldn’t suddenly worry about Harry Kane taking penalties.<\/p>\n
I’d still back him.<\/p>\n
But this one hurt.<\/p>\n
A lot.<\/p>\n
And Then There’s Lamine Yamal<\/p>\n
What more is there to say?<\/p>\n
He’s still ridiculously young.<\/p>\n
And yet watching him against England, there is already an expectation that something will happen whenever he gets the ball.<\/p>\n
That’s rare.<\/p>\n
Very rare.<\/p>\n
Defenders know what he wants to do.<\/p>\n
The crowd knows.<\/p>\n
The opposition manager knows.<\/p>\n
We know.<\/p>\n
And somehow he still does something dangerous.<\/p>\n
His early goal immediately changed the mood of the match.<\/p>\n
Spain have a special footballer here.<\/p>\n
Actually…<\/p>\n
Special feels like an understatement.<\/p>\n
Spain’s Bench Won Them the Match<\/p>\n
This deserves attention.<\/p>\n
Luis de la Fuente introduced Baena and Oyarzabal in the second half.<\/p>\n
Both scored.<\/p>\n
That’s a manager’s dream.<\/p>\n
Imagine making substitutions and both players actually do exactly what you hoped they would.<\/p>\n
Football Manager stuff.<\/p>\n
Spain’s depth is frightening.<\/p>\n
Pedri can come from the bench.<\/p>\n
Oyarzabal can come from the bench.<\/p>\n
Baena can come from the bench.<\/p>\n
There are quality players everywhere.<\/p>\n
And that is why beating Spain requires almost everything to go right.<\/p>\n
England came close.<\/p>\n
But close doesn’t appear in the table.<\/p>\n
What Does This Say About England Under Tuchel?<\/p>\n
There were positives.<\/p>\n
Definitely.<\/p>\n
There was also a warning.<\/p>\n
England can compete with the very best.<\/p>\n
We saw that.<\/p>\n
But competing with them and beating them are different things.<\/p>\n
The attacking football was encouraging.<\/p>\n
The response to going behind was excellent.<\/p>\n
The period either side of half-time showed exactly what this England team can be.<\/p>\n
But the mistakes?<\/p>\n
They have to go.<\/p>\n
You cannot build an elite international side while gifting elite opponents goals.<\/p>\n
Thomas Tuchel will know that better than anybody.<\/p>\n
The ingredients are there.<\/p>\n
Now he needs the consistency.<\/p>\n
Spain Are Still Spain<\/p>\n
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give Spain is that they didn’t panic.<\/p>\n
They went ahead.<\/p>\n
Then fell behind.<\/p>\n
England had the momentum.<\/p>\n
Wembley was alive.<\/p>\n
Kane had a penalty.<\/p>\n
And still Spain found a way.<\/p>\n
That is what champions do.<\/p>\n
They don’t always dominate.<\/p>\n
They don’t always play their prettiest football.<\/p>\n
Sometimes they simply survive your best period and wait.<\/p>\n
Then…<\/p>\n
Bang.<\/p>\n
Opportunity.<\/p>\n
Goal.<\/p>\n
Another opportunity.<\/p>\n
Another goal.<\/p>\n
Three points.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
Very efficient.<\/p>\n
Very Spanish.<\/p>\n
Very annoying if you’re England.<\/p>\n
My Simply Sublime Man of the Match<\/p>\n
There were several candidates.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gordon was excellent in spells.<\/p>\n
Lamine Yamal gave Spain the perfect start.<\/p>\n
But I’m going with:<\/p>\n
Mikel Oyarzabal.<\/p>\n
Came on.<\/p>\n
Scored the winner at Wembley.<\/p>\n
Job done.<\/p>\n
There is something beautifully uncomplicated about that.<\/p>\n
Simply Sublime for: arriving from the bench and deciding the football match.<\/p>\n
My Verdict<\/p>\n
England 2\u20133 Spain.<\/p>\n
England will be frustrated.<\/p>\n
And they should be.<\/p>\n
Because this wasn’t a match where Spain were simply too good.<\/p>\n
England had them.<\/p>\n
They fought back from 1\u20130 down.<\/p>\n
They led 2\u20131.<\/p>\n
They had a penalty to make it 3\u20131.<\/p>\n
That was the moment.<\/p>\n
Miss it against Spain and you give one of the best teams in international football oxygen.<\/p>\n
Spain took a very deep breath.<\/p>\n
Then punished them.<\/p>\n
For Thomas Tuchel, there are encouraging signs.<\/p>\n
England can hurt elite opposition.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gordon showed it.<\/p>\n
Harry Kane showed it.<\/p>\n
The football during England’s best periods showed it.<\/p>\n
But if England want to move from nearly beating teams like Spain to actually beating them, the mistakes have to disappear.<\/p>\n
Spain?<\/p>\n
They march on.<\/p>\n
Three goals.<\/p>\n
Three points.<\/p>\n
Another reminder that world champions don’t need an invitation twice.<\/p>\n
And for us watching?<\/p>\n
Five goals at Wembley.<\/p>\n
A missed penalty.<\/p>\n
A comeback.<\/p>\n
Two substitute goals.<\/p>\n
One very entertaining evening.<\/p>\n
Painful for England.<\/p>\n
Perfect for Spain.<\/p>\n
And as a football match?<\/p>\n
Simply Sublime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
England 2\u20133 Spain: A Wembley Thriller That England Let Slip Football can be terribly cruel. One minute you’re leading the world champions at Wembley. The next you’ve got a penalty to make it 3\u20131. And then, somehow, you’re standing there at full-time wondering how on earth you’ve lost 3\u20132. Welcome back, international football. England 2. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-swoosh0018"],"yoast_head":"\n