England visits the Metropolitano stadium this Sunday for the sixth matchday of the UEFA Nations League, reviving memories of a historic 1929 encounter in Madrid, according to reports from El Diario Vasco.
The fixture brings the Three Lions back to the Spanish capital nearly a century after a legendary May 15 match at the original Stadium Metropolitano, where Spain handed the inventors of football their first defeat against a continental European side with a 4-3 victory.
While the modern home of Atlético de Madrid stands on the site of the former La Peineta Olympic venue rather than the historic 1929 plot, the historic name and memory remain tied to the capital.
The historic 1929 showdown
Back in 1929, the English national team arrived in Madrid with an intimidating record across 22 away matches, having conceded only a single draw against Belgium.
A crowd of 45,000 to 50,000 spectators packed the stands on San Isidro day, paying ticket prices ranging from 5 to 22 pesetas, with higher sums recorded on the resale market, El Diario Vasco noted.
Infantes don Juan, don Gonzalo and don Jaime de Borbón -hijos de Alfonso XIII- watched from the presidential box as the visitors established an early 2-0 lead through goals from Bradford in the 13th minute and Carter seven minutes later.
Despite missing star forward William ‘Dixie’ Dean and fielding several players from their secondary international squad, the visitors appeared firmly in control during the opening exchanges.
Spain turns the tide
Spain fought back before halftime through goals from Gaspar Rubio and Jaime Lazcano, neutralizing the two-goal deficit within the span of four minutes.
After Carter restored the English lead from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, Rubio struck again with a header in the 79th minute to level the score at 3-3.
Severiano Goiburu completed the historic comeback three minutes later, securing a 4-3 triumph that sent the Madrid crowd into celebration and made global headlines.
That victory bridged a decades-long competitive gap against an opponent whose domestic league had already operated for four decades while Spanish football was in its infancy.
Sunday's Nations League kickoff follows latest chapter between nations
Sunday’s fixture marks the latest chapter between the two nations, with kickoff scheduled for the sixth round of the Nations League group stage.
Official lineups and tactical updates will be released by national federations ahead of the Sunday kickoff.
