The most sought after match in this international break will take place tonight between England and Spain at the iconic Wembley stadium with both the sides looking to prove their dominance over the other. Spain boss Julen Lopetegui has praised the Three Lions interim manager Gareth Southgate in his pre-match press conference while also taking a slight dig over the English style of football.
Spain won 2-0 against England when these two met last time and will be looking to inflict similar damage on a young English side. Southgate has recently stated his desire to make his job permanent as the next England national team manager with all the players including captain Wayne Rooney singing the young manager's praises.
Both Spain and England are doing well in their respective World Cup qualifications with the Three Lions maintaining a two-point lead over Slovenia while Spain are level on points with Italy in their respective groups.
When asked about his thoughts on tonight's game, he said, “I like a lot of things: the fans, the stadiums. I prefer the atmosphere to the play. England have some very good players. That’s not to say I prefer theirs to ours. I like ours more.” The 50-year-old replaced Vicente Del Bosque this summer as his appointment was seen as a questionable appointment by the Spanish media.
Lopetegui also praised his counterpart, Southgate, as he said, "He’s improved various things, especially in defensive solidness." Southgate has led the England senior side to two victories and a draw since taking charge of the team following Sam Allardyce's departure. It is being reported that the FA will look into tonight's fixture as to how much this team has developed under Southgate against a top quality side.
Jamie Vardy is set to start for England tonight with Daniel Sturridge playing their last game and Harry Kane returning to train with Spurs following an agreement made between his club and the FA due to recent return from injury. Wayne Rooney is back at United after a minor injury with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson set to don the armband for the Three Lions. David Silva is a doubt for Spain with Real Madrid's Isco set to start for the visitors.
