World champions Spain produced a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat England 3-2 in a pulsating UEFA Nations League encounter at Wembley Stadium. Despite falling 2-1 behind before the interval, the visitors mounted an impressive recovery, capitalising on a crucial penalty slip by England captain Harry Kane that turned the tide of the match.
The visitors wasted no time asserting their authority, breaking the deadlock after just two minutes. Prodigious winger Lamine Yamal dispossessed defender Marc Guéhi deep inside the English half before calmly slotting the ball past goalkeeper James Trafford.
Spain continued to press for a second, creating several promising openings. Ferran Torres tested Trafford with a fierce strike that required a sharp save, before the forward squandered another clear chance shortly afterwards to double Spain’s lead.
Those missed opportunities proved costly when England hit back with a swift counter-attack in the 36th minute. Following a tumble by Nico Williams during a Spanish foray, Elliot Anderson surged forward and released Anthony Gordon. Gordon’s deft flick found Jude Bellingham, who carried the ball through central midfield. The Real Madrid playmaker then executed a pinpoint pass to the Barcelona winger, who dispatched his shot past an off-balance Unai Simón to level the scores.
Spurred on by the home crowd, England surged ahead just minutes later. Nico O’Reilly delivered a measured cross into the penalty area, allowing Harry Kane to rise highest and power a header into the net, despite a desperate attempt on the line by Marc Cucurella.
The hosts were presented with a golden opportunity to extend their lead early in the second half. Following a VAR review at the pitchside monitor, the referee awarded England a penalty after Rodri brought down Jude Bellingham inside the box. Kane stepped up to take the spot-kick, but disaster struck as he lost his footing at the decisive moment, sending his strike crashing against the crossbar.
That miss proved to be the turning point, reigniting Spain’s intensity. Just past the hour mark, Álex Baena—who had been introduced from the bench barely five minutes earlier—intercepted a misplaced pass from O’Reilly and curled a magnificent shot into the net to restore parity.
Baena turned provider in the 74th minute, setting up fellow substitute Mikel Oyarzabal, who slipped the ball past Trafford to seal a memorable 3-2 victory for the world champions.
In a bid to rescue a point, England manager Thomas Tuchel brought on Morgan Gibbs-White and Dominic Calvert-Lewin late on. However, Spain’s resilient defence held firm under pressure, handing England their first defeat of the new Nations League campaign.
