LONDON — England suffered a 3-2 home defeat to newly crowned world champions Spain in their Nations League opener at Wembley, yet head coach Thomas Tuchel has avoided the fierce backlash many predicted before kick-off. The narrative ahead of the first post-World Cup international was stark: after the tactical disaster of the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, the big-name boss on big wages could not afford another loss to elite opposition.
Spain led inside the second minute after a Marc Guehi calamity on the edge of his own box gifted the visitors the opener, while at the other end captain Harry Kane missed a penalty on a slippery pitch that would have given England a two-goal cushion. The statistics offered Tuchel some cover against the tika-taka maestros — England held 48 per cent possession, made more successful passes in the final third than Spain, had just two fewer shots, more than double the touches in the opposition box and five times as many crosses — though Spain created twice as many big chances and Luis de la Fuente's side showed greater quality when it mattered.
Despite being outclassed for long spells — Spain should have led 4-0 after half an hour — Tuchel's critics have been forced to bite their tongues. England stayed true to their DNA with verve, pace and passion, dominating the world champions for half an hour either side of half-time and scoring twice against a team that has not lost in two-and-a-half years and has conceded to only two teams in the last 12 months. The mood inside the 88,000 crowd reflected that, with no boos at full-time, and Kane said afterwards the mission remains delivering a complete 90-minute performance, something England failed to do at the World Cup and again at Wembley on Saturday night.
What matters now is the response. England face three games in eight days, with Czech Republic home and away sandwiching an away trip to Croatia. Three wins would make it a positive international break and keep qualification hopes alive for the Nations League quarter-finals in the spring, with the top two from each League A group advancing — meaning England can still progress even if they finish below Spain, provided they finish above the other two nations.
The defeat, paradoxically, has lifted the national mood after the World Cup disappointment, with the display offering positive signs against a side widely regarded as the best by a mile. The performance built on the themes seen in England's 3-2 embrace of chaos against Spain's control at Wembley, and the next test against the Czechs now feels critical for Tuchel to turn encouragement into points.