Wembley Stadium saw a absolute thriller on Saturday, but it was England going down 3-2 to Spain in their UEFA Nations League opener. And yeah, that means the world champions just pushed their mind-boggling unbeaten streak to an insane 40 games. Forty!
First Half Frenzy: Yamal Strikes Early, England Fights Back
This game kicked off with a shocker, man. Lamine Yamal needed less than two minutes to absolutely break the deadlock for Spain. He snatched the ball from Marc Guehi, then just slotted it right past James Trafford. Can you believe it? That was the third-quickest goal England’s ever given up at Wembley. Spain wasn’t done trying to twist the knife either. Ferran Torres thought he had doubled their lead with a sick first-time finish, but it got called back for offside. Later, Yamal set up Torres again before the half-hour mark, but Torres dragged that shot wide. Spain was coming at them hard. But give England credit, they didn’t fold. Anthony Gordon leveled it up in the 36th minute, finishing a counter-attack after a beauty of a pass from Jude Bellingham. And then, boom! England completed the turnaround. Nico O’Reilly chipped a ball to Harry Kane, whose shot deflected past Marc Cucurella and into the net. The Three Lions went into the break having flipped the script, 2-1 up.
Second Half Heartbreak: Kane’s Miss Proves Costly
England started the second half looking to keep that momentum going. They were on the front foot, and a wicked cross came into the area, but Jarrel Quansah headed it just over. Then came the moment that really swung the game. In the 52nd minute, Rodri brought down Bellingham, and England got a penalty. This was their chance to really put some distance in it, right? But Harry Kane hit the crossbar. Man, that just crushes you. That miss proved costly, because on the hour mark, Alex Baena leveled the score for Spain. He side-footed it into the bottom corner after O’Reilly carelessly lost possession. That’s a brutal turnover right there. And then, Baena wasn’t done. He threaded a line-splitting pass to Mikel Oyarzabal, who chipped the ball right over the charging Trafford for the winning goal. Just like that, Spain had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and kept that incredible 40-game streak alive.
What a punch to the gut for England fans. They’ve got to regroup fast, because they’re back on the pitch Tuesday when they travel to Czechia. They’ll be looking to shake off this dramatic loss and get back to winning ways. Spain, meanwhile, just keeps rolling. Forty games, folks. That’s a statement.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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