Spain started their inaugural Nations League campaign with a 2-1 win over England at Wembley.
The 2018 World Cup was humiliating for Spain as they went in as one of the favourites and ended up exiting in the round of 16 to the hosts, so it won’t be fondly remembered. Julen Lopetegui’s sacking on the eve of the tournament certainly played a large part in that, but he only has himself and Real Madrid to blame for that.
Luis Enrique has been brought in to rebuild the side – with key individuals retiring – and take them back to the top of international football. This was his first game in charge since taking over, and it had the potential to be a tough task due the optimism and confidence around England after a fourth place finish in the summer. However, Spain were able to navigate through it relatively comfortably as well as showing signs that Enrique’s ideas were already starting to take effect.
Sergio Busquets was the only Barcelona player to start for La Roja, with Sergi Roberto on the bench and Jordi Alba unwanted due to personal disagreements. The 30-year-old worked well as the defensive midfielder in the customary 4-3-3 formation alongside Saul Niguez and Thiago Alcantara. It was a slightly different set-up to what he’s usually accustomed to at Barcelona currently because there was more of an emphasis on inviting the high press by circulating possession around the defence.
England scored the opener against the run of play because they quickly transitioned up the pitch, with Luke Shaw threading an incisive ball through to Marcus Rashford who finished past his Manchester United teammate David De Gea. Spain quickly reacted, though, as Iago Aspas and Rodrigo Moreno combined well before the Valencia forward cut the ball back for Saul Niguez who finished expertly under pressure.
More from Analysis
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- How can Xavi unlock Joao Felix for FC Barcelona?
- Where does Joao Cancelo fit for FC Barcelona?
- Three takeaways from Barcelona’s 4-3 win at Villarreal
- Barcelona vs Cádiz Player Ratings from a 2-0 win
La Roja ramped up the pressure for the rest of the half as they were able to keep possession with ease whether that be in their own defensive third when they were pressed high by the opposition or in the final third as they patiently circulated the ball around. They eventually broke through after a defensive lapse from a free kick, which gifted Rodrigo an easy goal. De Gea ensured they were ahead at the half when he saved acrobatically from a Rashford header.
The second half was much more even, but the benefits of Enrique’s decision to ensure that they went into a 4-4-2 defensive shape worked well because they were able to absorb pressure effectively. They also exploited the lack of width in England’s 3-5-2 when they were in control of possession by switching play to the full-backs if needed.
England ramped up the pressure near the end and had a number of good opportunities such as Rashford’s 1v1 with De Gea. Spain were lucky to come away with a win as De Gea fell on Danny Welbeck as he collected a mishit clearance and ended up dropping the ball to give the Arsenal striker a tap-in, but it was ruled out in what was a soft decision. However, Spain were the better side and the decision to utilise quick transitions more often as well as using late runners from deep positions such as Saul to aid their attacking play worked well.
Busquets controlled play effectively with his usual composure and elusiveness while Roberto only had a brief cameo when England were in the ascendancy. Marcos Alonso looked comfortable on the left side of defence, so Alba is unlikely to return anytime soon. Overall, it was a promising debut for Enrique, with some of his ideas from his Barcelona tenure being on display once again.