extended their unbeaten run to 39 games by rallying to a 3-2 win against England in the Nations League here on Saturday.
Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal came back to haunt England with his 74th-minute winner at Wembley. Oyarzabal also scored the winning goal when Spain beat England in the final of the European Championship in 2024.
On this occasion, he calmly chipped goalkeeper James Trafford from close range to complete the world champion’s comeback after trailing 1-2 at half-time, as Anthony Gordon (36th min) and Harry Kane (40th) scored in quick succession to cancel out Lamine Yamal’s (2nd min) strike.
Luis de la Fuente
For Spain boss , this show of resilience is what delighted him the most. “We continue to show that this team never gives up, and that we have no intention to stop winning,” said a proud De la Fuente. Squad depth was another source of pride for the Spanish coach as substitute Alex Baena (60th min) scored the equaliser for Spain before setting up Oyarzabal’s match winner.
“I am fortunate to have these players. Anyone of them can come onto the pitch and is ready to try and change the game. Our guys have exceptional talent,” added De la Fuente. Meanwhile, England were left to rue a missed penalty by Harry Kane early in the second half, and defensive errors, including Marc Guehi’s errant back pass which Yamal pounced upon.
“We couldn’t unfortunately convert the penalty. That may have been the decisive moment. The third goal was the only goal that they really scored. The other ones there were because of our big individual mistakes,” said England manager Thomas Tuchel.
Eight
No of years since Spain’s last defeat to England
39
Spain’s current unbeaten streak across all competitions