Spain host England at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Sunday, November 15, in the final round of UEFA Nations League Group A3. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45pm local time (19:45 GMT), with Al Jazeera Sport’s build-up beginning at 16:45 GMT. Both sides have already qualified for the quarterfinals, but top spot remains on the line: Spain lead the group with 15 points, while England have 12.
Key Takeaways: Spain are unbeaten in 43 matches and have won all five group fixtures, while England have recorded four straight wins since their 3-2 home defeat to Spain in September. Opta’s supercomputer gives Spain a 59.6 percent chance of victory, England a 19.3 percent chance, and a draw 21.1 percent.
Spain’s perfect group record includes a 3-2 away win over England, a 4-1 home win over Croatia, a 3-1 win over Czechia, a 2-1 away win in Croatia and a 2-0 away win in Czechia. England, under Thomas Tuchel, responded to the opening loss by beating Czechia 2-0, Croatia 7-0, Czechia 3-0 and Croatia 2-1. The match in Madrid therefore offers England a chance to measure themselves against the world and European champions in a demanding away setting.
Thomas Tuchel said: “It (Spain) is a team that has forgotten how to lose, so of course it requires a top performance first of all, and if we can deliver this performance, it will give us a big boost. I think we’re there, and I think we’re ready to win on Sunday.” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said: “We want to keep setting new milestones, and this is another one. None of us would probably ever have thought we’d even reach 35, because we already felt those were astronomical numbers, but having reached 43, you think, my goodness, we want to get to 44, of course we do.”
The September meeting at Wembley underlined both teams’ qualities and flaws. Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead in the second minute, but Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane turned the game around for a 2-1 England lead at halftime. Kane then missed a penalty, and Spain rallied through Alex Baena’s equalizer before Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner in the 74th minute. Yamal, with four goals, and Mikel Merino, with three, have led Spain’s attack, while newly-crowned Ballon d’Or recipient Harry Kane remains England’s central threat. Yamal is expected to feature.
A draw or victory will secure first place for Spain and potentially a more favorable quarterfinal draw in March. England are guaranteed second even if they lose, but ending Spain’s 43-match unbeaten streak on Spanish soil would be a landmark result for Tuchel’s side and a significant psychological boost ahead of the knockout stage.
Source: www.aljazeera.com