England v Spain: line-ups, coaches’ views, form guide
- Spain’s initial diversion underneath Luis Enrique
- England reached World Cup semi-finals
- Sides drew 2-2 in Wembley accessible in 2016
- UEFA Nations League: all we need to know
- UEFA Nations League calendar: all a fixtures
Possible line-ups
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Henderson, Shaw; Alli, Lingard; Rashford, Kane
Spain: De Gea; Carvajal, Ramos, Albiol, Alonso; Thiago, Busquets, Saúl; Asensio, Morata, Isco
Reporter’s view: Simon Hart (@UEFAcomSimonH)
Gareth Southgate will benefaction Harry Kane with his FIFA World Cup Golden Boot during Wembley, yet after a astonishing thrills of England’s Russia 2018 adventure, a pursuit now is to build on a summer feelgood factor. Southgate has understandably showed his faith in a organisation that reached a semi-finals, yet other players are already knocking on a doorway – declare a early-season form of left-back Luke Shaw during Manchester United and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez.
There are areas where England wish to improve. Southgate has reportedly focused on how his players resorted to attack prolonged balls underneath vigour opposite Croatia and a miss of dire aloft adult a representation – and Spain will yield an intriguing test. After England’s final World Cup semi-final coming in 1990, they suffered a organisation theatre rejecting during Euro ’92 and did not even make a following World Cup. Hopefully, this time that feelgood cause will endure.
What a coaches say
Gareth Southgate, England manager
With us usually being [four] games into a season, we felt some smoothness was important, so those who were with us in a summer merit a right to go again. Others haven’t unequivocally had a event to force themselves forward of those guys. we did not consider to sale a organisation who got to a semi-final would be fair.
Luis Enrique, Spain coach
Our character will sojourn a same, looking to foreordain games, yet we need to put a possess small touches to it. We aren’t going to review ourselves to past Spain squads who won trophies, yet rather a teams we are going to face; in that clarity we don’t consider we’re defective to anyone. We need to lapse to a top.
Form guide
England
2018 World Cup
Qualifying – 1st in Group F (W8 D2 L0)
Final contest – semi-finals (W3 D1 L2)
Last 5 matches (most new first): LWDLW
Spain
2018 World Cup
Qualifying – 1st in Group G (W9 D1 L0)
Final contest – turn of 16 (W1 D3 L0)
Last 5 matches (most new first): DDWDW