Spain saw its 43-match unbeaten run end in Madrid on Sunday after falling 3-2 to a 10-man England side at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium.
Defeat at Metropolitano Stadium
England secured the victory in the UEFA Nations League Group A3 fixture despite playing the final 27 minutes a player down, as reported by Sözcü. The defeat brought a halt to a streak that stretched back to a March 2024 friendly loss against Colombia, according to Anadolu Ajansı.
Entering the match, Spain sat atop the group with a perfect 15 points from five matches, while England held second place with 12 points, as detailed by Hürriyet.
Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot before halftime to put England 1-0 ahead, as noted by Fanatik. Ezri Konsa doubled the advantage in the 53rd minute, and Ben White added a third four minutes later to leave the reigning world champions trailing 3-0.
England Secures 3-2 Win Despite Red Card
The dynamic shifted in the 63rd minute when Elliot Anderson received a red card, reducing England to 10 men, according to Anadolu Ajansı. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty in the same minute to cut the deficit to 3-1, as reported by Fanatik.
Nico Williams brought the hosts within one goal by scoring in the 75th minute. Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, Spain failed to find an equalizer, allowing England to seal the 3-2 win.
Group Standings After the Final Matchday
The result left both nations level on 15 points at the conclusion of the group stage, with England claiming first place on goal difference, Anadolu Ajansı reported. Croatia finished third in the group with six points, while Czechia ended without a point in fourth place.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente deployed a starting lineup featuring Unai Simon, Marc Pubill, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Alex Baena, according to Goal.com. Thomas Tuchel selected James Trafford, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa, Ben White, Lewis Hall, Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, and Harry Kane for England.
In the other group fixture, Croatia defeated Czechia 2-1, as reported by Anadolu Ajansı. Across other UEFA Nations League action on the opening day of the sixth matchweek, France defeated Turkey 2-1 in A League Group 1, with goals from Kroupi and an own goal by Emirhan Topçu for the hosts, while Abdülkerim Bardakci scored for Turkey, and Belgium earned a 4-1 home win against Italy, according to Anadolu Ajansı.
France finished the group in first place with 13 points, followed by Belgium with 12 points, Italy with 10 points, and Turkey at the bottom without a point.
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