UEFA Nations League: 3 reasons for Spain's 2-1 defeat of England
World Cup semi-finalists England began the UEFA Nations League campaign on a losing note after Saul and Rodrigo Moreno turned the tables following Marcus Rashford's early opener.
The Three Lions weren't exactly poor, but were let down by some poor finishing as so many chances went begging. La Roja however, were relatively the better side throughout and deservedly eked out a win.
Gareth Southgate still has plenty to ponder over before turning this side into one capable of going all the way at the Euros. Here are three important reasons for Spain's win over England:
#1 Spain win the midfield battle
Actually, win is just an understatement. Spain thoroughly dominated the midfield battle as the likes of Isco, Thiago and Sergio Busquets ran the show from the centre. While Busquets was the nexus between the defense and the attack, Isco and Thiago helped create chances with swift and slick passing.
They got the ball into tight areas to attract players and then laid an incisive pass to get bodies forward. Despite the likes of Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard and Jordan Henderson manning the English midfield, the disparity in quality was staggering. The Spanish midfielders were successful at some of the important things that their counterparts failed at: controlling the tempo of the game and getting the ball forward expertly.
This forced England to look to the flanks for creativity, but were once again let down. This time by profligacy.