Rizky Amelia
World champions Spain overturned a two-goal deficit to beat England 3-2 at Wembley on Saturday, stretching their undefeated sequence to 39 matches — a new record for a European national side — in a wildly fluctuating UEFA Nations League contest that offered very little comfort to either camp.
The victory, delivered by Luis de la Fuente's team in front of a partisan home crowd, was built on resilience rather than control. England twice led through goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, and twice failed to hold their advantage, allowing a pair of substitute strikes from Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal to turn the game on its head inside the final half-hour.
For Spain, the result carries significance beyond the points on offer. Their run now stands at 39 games without defeat, surpassing every previous European benchmark, and it means a side that has already conquered the Euro 2024 final and the most recent World Cup has now also produced the longest unbeaten streak in the continent's history. De la Fuente, who has rebuilt the team around a youthful spine and an expansive attacking identity, continues to produce results that belabour his side's reputation for volatility.
England, by contrast, were left to reflect on a chastening collapse that bore more than a passing resemblance to the patterns that dogged them during their World Cup semifinal exit to Argentina. Tuchel had been adamant before kick-off that the fixture should not be treated as a fresh start, yet the display at Wembley offered an uncomfortable mixture of the two England sides of recent memory: the side that attacks with freedom and the side that crumbles under pressure.
The opening minute set the tone. With England unable to deal with Spain's early pressing, Marc Guehi — on the Manchester City payroll and stationed in a central defensive role — inexplicably turned back towards goalkeeper James Trafford while entirely unaware that Lamine Yamal was closing him down. The teenager nipped in, shaped the ball onto his left foot and bent a shot inside the far post for a goal that owed almost nothing to Spain's creative build-up and everything to a misplaced pass and a frozen defence.
Spain's advantage should have grown considerably. Ferran Torres, stationed at the centre of the action, saw one effort chalked off for offside, had another comfortably gathered by Trafford — deputising for the sidelined Jordan Pickford — and then inexplicably failed to convert when left with only the goalkeeper to beat. Yamal, sensing the momentum slipping, supplied Dani Olmo, who steered his effort agonisingly wide. The Wembley crowd, so often subdued by England's cautious away performances, began to grow restless.
What followed was arguably the most striking aspect of the night. England had been heavily criticised for their ultra-defensive approach against Argentina, a criticism Tuchel had clearly registered. Here, they responded with adventure. They won the ball back deep inside their own half and countered with speed and conviction, and in the 36th minute the move was rewarded. Gordon, who had pushed forward to participate, surged into space, collected a pass from Jude Bellingham and held his nerve to place the ball decisively beyond Unai Simon.
Four minutes later, England were in front. Nico O'Reilly delivered a cross from the left that took a decisive touch off Marc Cucurella and fell invitingly for Kane, who rose to head home. Suddenly the noise inside the stadium was deafening, and the England bench — and perhaps Tuchel himself — could sense the chance to overturn the narratives of a disappointing summer.
The home side began the second half in much the same fashion, forcing a penalty decision through a VAR check when Rodri caught Bellingham. Kane, offered a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 and settle the contest, slipped as he approached the ball and crashed his effort against the crossbar. Trafford, who had already been beaten twice, watched it cannon away and England began to visibly unravel.
The substitutes made the difference. Baena, introduced to great effect, equalised on the hour after O'Reilly surrendered possession to Olmo, and then assumed the role of provider, cutting a pass for Oyarzabal to lift delicately over the advancing Trafford. Two goals in quick succession from players who began the match on the bench offered a sharp illustration of the depth Spain currently possess — and of the way a home side that had looked secure began to defend its box sloppily.
For England, the defeat will sting particularly because of how winnable it appeared. Trafford's inclusion, the introduction of Gordon, and the willingness to attack at pace suggested a team attempting to reshape itself, but the defensive frailty that followed — a misplaced pass in the buildup, a cross that should never have been conceded, a missed penalty — undermined every attacking advance.
Whether this proves a turning point or another false dawn is the question Tuchel must now address. Spain, meanwhile, continue to accumulate momentum and records in equal measure, and a team that has now gone 39 matches without conceding defeat will arrive at their next Nations League fixtures with both confidence and expectation. For England, there is a long way still to travel before the doubts that followed their World Cup exit are fully laid to rest.
Wembley, for once, finished as a venue for heartbreak rather than relief — and for Spain, a stage for yet another statement of authority.
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