3 Keys That Dismantled Tuchel’s Plan: Spain Lure England in the Heart of Wembley

World champions always ready for the toughest scenarios: repeated mistakes from the Three Lions

Spain edged a thrilling encounter 3-2 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, opening their UEFA Nations League campaign against England.

Lamine Yamal set the tone inside two minutes, firing Spain in front. England hit back through Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane in the 36th and 40th minutes to lead 2-1 at the break.

Alex Baena hauled the world champions level on the hour. Mikel Oyarzabal then completed the turnaround in the 74th minute to settle it.

England travel to Prague to face the Czech Republic on 29 September, while Spain host Croatia the same day in the second round.

Spain more dangerous: exploiting the spaces

Spain flew out of the blocks at Wembley, punishing the gaps that opened up between England’s lines with high pressing and lightning transitions. Lamine Yamal struck early after sustained pressure, a goal that summed up Spain’s knack of forcing England into mistakes as they tried to play out from the back.

England’s possession told a different story. It carried little threat in those opening stages. They reached promising areas in Spain’s half but lacked compactness between the lines, and their players kept leaving glaring gaps, particularly among the defenders. It’s a problem that has dogged them since the World Cup, and one Tuchel still hasn’t solved.

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Turning point: Ferran Torres wastes a chance, and England regain their balance

Spain’s failure to punish England in the first half proved the turning point. Ferran Torres was the chief culprit, spurning a string of dangerous openings in front of goal and converting just one.

Even so, La Roja kept their edge in pressing and transitions, feeding off the pace of Torres, Yamal and Nico Williams in the spaces behind the England defence.

Thomas Tuchel then cranked up the pressing. That squeezed Spain’s ability to build and reach England’s third with ease, and the moment the hosts won the ball back, their sharpest weapon surfaced: the rapid counter.

England hunted the space Spain left behind their midfield and defence. Anthony Gordon’s run stood out as one of the moments of the half.

Credit goes to Jude Bellingham, who read the space better and slid the ball to Gordon rather than Bukayo Saka. The move ended in the goal that dragged England back into the tie.

Level but not satisfied, England kept probing behind the Spanish midfield. Nico O’Reilly seized on Rodri’s slowness to cover and whipped in a cross for Harry Kane to give the hosts the lead.

Second turning point: 3 keys that sum up Spain’s dominance

Spain turned the match around again after the break, their high press and the quality of their substitutes proving decisive as England struggled badly to play the ball out. The turning point came early: Harry Kane missed a penalty in the 54th minute. Luis de la Fuente then sent on Oyarzabal and Alex Baena for Ferran Torres and Nico Williams, both of whom had coughed up possession repeatedly in the first half.

Baena made an instant impact. He carved out a clear-cut chance for Lamine Yamal, then scored with his first shot to level it at 2-2 in the 60th minute.

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That goal was no isolated flash of brilliance. It flowed directly from the way Spain handled England’s pressure. They drew in the first wave of the press, exploited the space behind the advanced winger and forced England’s midfield to shift horizontally, then sped up the play once the defence had lost its shape.

Three clear factors let Spain turn the tables on England and a Tuchel who never seems to learn from his mistakes. The high press hemmed in England’s build-up. The substitutes handed the team a decisive attacking lift. And the exploitation of space sealed it, as La Roja proved they can navigate the toughest scenarios and come back from behind. A strong start to the post-World Cup title era.

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The equaliser did nothing to slow Spain. They kept exploiting the decentralised movement of their players to disrupt England’s lines, and Pedri’s introduction only tightened their grip on possession. England, meanwhile, saw the lack of understanding between Marc Guehi, Konsa and the midfield resurface once again.

Oyarzabal’s goal in the 74th minute laid the defensive problem bare. Ezri Konsa played a Spanish player onside, breaking the offside trap, and gaps opened behind the defensive line. Spain pounced to go 3-2 up.

Nico O’Reilly stayed one of England’s brightest attacking outlets, hunting for space wherever it appeared. Yamal partly marked him and Rodri handled his movements, and between them Spain limited his threat.

Jude Bellingham also stood out for England, but Spain’s pressing choked off the platform the team had used to build its attacks so freely in the first half.

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