England 2-3 Spain: La Roja fight back at Wembley to extend historic unbeaten run as Harry Kane misses crucial penalty

Spain extended their historic unbeaten run to 39 matches after a dramatic 3-2 victory over England at Wembley. The opening UEFA Nations League blockbuster witnessed a breathless, high-scoring thriller between the reigning world champions and the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel's new era.

The hosts' nightmare began after just 100 seconds when 19-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal punished Marc Guéhi's error to open the scoring. The fateful turning point arrived in the 54th minute when Harry Kane slipped and missed a crucial penalty with England leading 2-1, paving the way for La Roja's comeback.

Penalty heartbreak and La Roja's ruthless punishment

In the 54th minute, a golden opportunity to put the game to bed emerged for England when Jude Bellingham won a penalty. However, Harry Kane's disastrous slip saw his spot-kick crash against the crossbar, denting the Three Lions' morale.

That wastefulness was instantly and ruthlessly punished. In the 60th minute, capitalising on a misplaced pass from Nico O'Reilly, Álex Baena curled home a sublime equaliser to make it 2-2, before Mikel Oyarzabal slotted past James Trafford in the 74th minute to seal the 3-2 victory.

This comeback bore the tactical hallmark of manager Luis de la Fuente. The fact that both decisive goalscorers came off the bench proved the Spanish tactician's superior game-reading and personnel adjustments.

Record 39-match unbeaten run and England's squad depth dilemma

Victory at Wembley extended Spain's unbeaten streak to 39 matches, cementing the reigning world champions' dominance. Lamine Yamal's brilliance after just 100 seconds following Marc Guéhi's error epitomised La Roja's clinical edge and superior class.

Conversely, this defeat exposed a glaring lack of squad depth for England under Thomas Tuchel. Deprived of both Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo, Tuchel was forced to field a makeshift lineup featuring youngsters like James Trafford and Nico O'Reilly. Despite a resilient first-half display, the inexperience of these fresh faces in decisive moments ultimately cost the Three Lions.

Verdict and analysis

The 3-2 defeat at Wembley highlighted the gulf in class and composure between world champions Spain and an England side in transition. For Thomas Tuchel, this loss serves as a harsh lesson regarding squad depth and handling pressure in high-stakes moments.

The absence of key stalwarts saw the Three Lions run out of steam against an incredibly savvy and experienced outfit. Do you think England can exact revenge once their key players return?