What went wrong for Spain against England? 

David de Gea in utter frustration
David de Gea in utter frustration

After a roll of four consecutive victories since Luis Enrique took over the Spanish national team, the 2010 World Cup winners were brought back to earth after a defeat against a young and talented England team in their UEFA Nations League encounter.

Getting a taste of their own medicine, Spain conceded three goals in the first half which is a total opposite of their last matches. Despite the defeat, La Roja didn't go down without the fight as Paco Alcacer and Sergio Ramos scored goals in the second half with the latter trying to push the team towards an equaliser but it was not enough to salvage a point.

With another month to prepare before facing the 2018 FIFA World Cup second placers Croatia, we look into what really went wrong for Enrique's wards against England.


#1 Defensive breakdown for the men in red

It seems like every time the Three Lions are running down with the ball, Spain's defence collapse which gives enough space for England's strikers to nail their goals past David De Gea.

Looking at the first goal of the match, it seemed like Raheem Sterling got the ball from an offside position but replays suggested that he was a tad onside and enough to make de Gea go the wrong way. Their second goal was like a carbon-copy of the first one as Harry Kane fed a through ball for Marcus Rashford who was just too quick for the opposition's defence to catch.

With their third goal of the match, Sterling had little to no coverage inside the box when Kane received the ball from Ross Barkley, resulting in a blunder and a disappointing performance from the defence.

Should La Roja continue the way they handled England in their next competitive match, they might end on the wrong side of the standings if Enrique is not able to find answers to their defensive mishaps.

#2 Raheem Sterling's form revival

Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling

Spain was on the receiving end of a resurgent Raheem Sterling for England. Not only did he score the first away goal for England in an international competition since 1987, but he also scored his first goal in three years and what a time to get it for him and his nation.

Moreover, La Roja seemed to fail in finding any answers to whatever Sterling was throwing at them. Maybe it was one of those days that you can't stop a man who's on a roll for his country.

Sterling was the epitome of hard work paying off in their encounter against Spain and he might go a long way for his nation.

Clearly, he was determined to prove his doubters wrong with this emphatic performance against the 2010 world champions. If Spain wasn't able to handle Sterling, could they be found out by Croatia next month?

#3 Too many shots with poor conversion

Spain v England - UEFA Nations League A

Of all the 27 shots La Roja took, only six of them was on target and only two went past Jordan Pickford. With this shooting rate, it goes to show that they might have the firepower but they lack finishing.

Their second goal was scored not by a striker but with a defender who headed the ball in. Enrique played three forwards, but Paco Alcacer seemed to be the only one on who looked to score.

Pickford was also in great form, saving attempt after attempt whenever they came at him. It was one of those nights that you try everything but nothing's going your way.

Should they continue with their hopes of making it to the next round, the Spain manager must put in a lot of work into his squad's shooting abilities. They'll also hope everything goes well for them once they face Croatia.

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