In a repeat of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final, England gained revenge on world champions Spain by defeating them at Wembley Stadium in the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
The match was the first heavyweight meeting in this four-team group which also involves Belgium and Portugal. While Spain had come from two goals down to defeat Belgium in their opening game on Friday, England dropped points in losing a first-half lead over Portugal.
This left Spain, the inaugural winners of the UEFA Women’s Nations League two points ahead of England going into their encounter tonight. It was also their first meeting since their showdown in Sydney at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in which Spain triumphed with the game’s only goal scored by Olga Carmona.
From that game, there were seven starters for Spain who began the World Cup final, the most notable omission being Jenni Hermoso, who was controversially not included by national team head coach Monste Tomé in her squad as her court case against former RFEF President Luis Rubiales came to a conclusion last week.
For England, there were five starters from Sydney. Unlike then, they were able to begin with Lauren James – who was returning from a two-game suspension in the final, only appearing as a substitute – and captain Leah Williamson – who missed the entire tournament through an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Spain dominated the early stages of the game, predictably monopolising possession. They should have taken the lead in the first quarter of an hour when Lucía García smashed a shot against the crossbar after a corner. Shortly after Claudia Pina fired over the top.
England hit back after 22 minutes when James forced goalkeeper Cata Coll into two good saves. From a resultant corner, the Lionesses should have had a penalty when Laia Aleixandri pulled Williamson to the ground as she ran towards the ball. Spain escaped as VAR is not used in the women’s game at this stage of the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
England capitalised on their good spell by taking the lead. Alessia Russo brillianty turned her marker Irene Paredes and drove into the penalty area. Her shot was deflected across the goal to Jess Park who stabbed the ball in via a deflection off Salma Paralleulo.
The second half was more even. Spain still made the play and went close several times but England now possessed more of a threat on the counter-attack to keep the game stretched and prevent the world champions from building up any momentum in attack. Spain’s attacking flow was also interrupted by a temporary failure of the floodlights which held up the play for a couple of minutes.
In goal, Hannah Hampton, the only change made by Sarina Wiegman from the side held by Portugal last week, repelled everything the world champions threw at her in the second half. The keeper, who spent part of her childhood in Spain, once more kept a clean sheet against them after excelling against the same opposition on her senior international debut in the Arnold Clark Cup in 2022.
It was the first-ever meeting between reigning world and European champions in the women’s game which did not involve either Germany or the United States, for so long the standard bearers on the international stage. England had won the previous such match-up, defeating then world champions, the United States at Wembley, two months after become European champions for the first time.
Tonight’s result leaves Spain a point behind England in the group. The world champions are therefore in danger of missing out on a top seeding for the European qualification stages of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The top four seeds will be determined by the rankings of this UEFA Women’s Nations League competition. To now win the group and finish ahead of England, Spain may have to win the return fixture when the two teams meet again on the final matchday in June.
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