England v Spain: Preview

Last updated : 02 September 2018 By Three Lions

A look ahead at the UEFA Nations League match between England and Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening, a first match in this new tournament for both teams and a first since contrasting fortunes at the 2018 World Cup.

For England there is plenty of continuity in the squad Gareth Southgate has named and a good bank of goodwill for his side to draw on after their exploits in Russia.

Goals however, especially from open play, remain an area where England may struggle.

Harry Kane walked away with the Golden Boot from the World Cup but without finding the net in either the quarter or semi-finals while Raheem Sterling's lack of goals was highlighted throughout the tournament despite Southgate’s faith in the other qualities he brought to the team.

Adam Lallana may provide an extra dash of creativity but for the most part, with no new names among the strikers, it may be that England continue to look to their strength from set-pieces, such a hugely positive feature in Russia, with John Stones and Harry Maguire proving a threat in the opposition box and Kieran Trippier having already shown that his free-kick in the semi-final against Croatia was no fluke.

The presence of Trippier, Stones and Maguire, together with Kyle Walker and Jordan Pickford, provides continuity at the back and Luke Shaw should be able to slot in seamlessly on the left-hand side if chosen ahead of Danny Rose as he may well be after a bright start to the season that has even earned him praise from Jose Mourinho.

Lack of game time for potential England picks was highlighted by Southgate this week as a problem going forward, the Three Lions boss hinting that he his player pool will have to be extended by looking into the Championship.

In the short-term that shouldn't prove too much of an issue with the majority of the squad having had an extended season thanks to their exploits at the World Cup and a staggered return to action in the past few weeks or so.

England should be raring to go, especially with the prospect of a Nations League match against quality opposition in front of a big crowd at Wembley, a match that should sit higher in the competitive stakes than a friendly and more of a challenge than a European Championship qualifier.

New Spain manager Luis Enrique has promised an evolution in style rather than anything more drastic but the international retirements of Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Gerard Pique have given him the opportunity to reshape things a little.

"We aren't going to compare ourselves to past Spain squads who won stuff, but rather the teams we are going to face, and in that sense I don't think we're inferior to anyone," said the former Barcelona boss.

Tickets are still available for the game and if you are heading to Wembley on Saturday evening then there are a couple of offers that may interest you for matches in the local area earlier in the day.

A reduced admission price of £6 is available to ticket holders who want to watch Hendon FC against Harlow Town in the FA Cup at 3pm while Barnet have an offer in place that allows those going to the England game to park their car at The Hive and watch the afternoon game with Maidenhead for £10.