Luis de la Fuente Defends Spain's Control After Dramatic England Comeback at Wembley

Luis de la Fuente has insisted Spain remained in control for most of their dramatic 3-2 Nations League victory over England at Wembley, despite the world champions being forced to recover from a first-half collapse.

Spain took an early lead through Lamine Yamal, but England turned the match around before half-time as Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane struck within four minutes of each other.

Yet Spain responded after the break. Álex Baena levelled before Mikel Oyarzabal completed the comeback in the 74th minute, giving La Roja three points and extending their unbeaten run to a remarkable 39 matches.

De la Fuente Refuses to See Spain as Second Best

The scoreline suggested a contest that swung dramatically between the two sides, but De la Fuente's assessment was notably different.

The Spain manager acknowledged that his team endured a difficult spell but argued that England's dominance was temporary rather than evidence that the hosts had taken control of the entire contest.

“There have been six or seven minutes of disconnection in the first half,” De la Fuente said after the match, while also stressing that Spain had controlled the game against an England side packed with attacking talent.

His message was clear: Spain had not abandoned their football when England moved ahead.

Instead, the champions adapted, survived the difficult moments and eventually reclaimed the initiative.

England's Four-Minute Surge Changed the Game

Spain could hardly have asked for a better start.

Yamal capitalised on a mistake from Marc Guéhi inside the opening two minutes to put the visitors ahead.

England then produced their best spell of the night.

Gordon equalised in the 36th minute after Jude Bellingham released him on the counter, before Kane headed England in front four minutes later.

The hosts then had an opportunity to extend their advantage shortly after half-time when they were awarded a penalty after Rodri was judged to have fouled Bellingham.

Kane, however, struck the crossbar.

That proved to be a significant moment.

Spain Respond When the Pressure Was Highest

Rather than allowing England's missed penalty to become a brief reprieve, Spain used the moment to change the direction of the match.

Baena restored parity around the hour mark before Oyarzabal produced another Wembley moment against England.

The Real Sociedad forward, who scored Spain's winner in the Euro 2024 final against England, once again found the decisive touch against the Three Lions.

His 74th-minute finish completed the comeback and preserved Spain's extraordinary unbeaten record.

For De la Fuente, the reaction was more important than the difficult spell that preceded it.

The Spain boss said his players had shown the ability to respond to adversity and insisted there was still considerable room for improvement.

39 Games Without Defeat

The victory was more than just three Nations League points.

Spain have now gone 39 consecutive matches without defeat, extending a run that has become a record for a European men's national team.

They surpassed Italy's previous mark of 37 unbeaten matches, set between 2018 and 2021. Spain's last defeat came against Colombia in March 2024.

De la Fuente believes the streak is a reflection of the mentality within his squad rather than something that has made them complacent.

The coach has repeatedly stressed that Spain's current generation remains hungry for more success despite already winning the European Championship and 2026 World Cup.

That mentality was tested at Wembley — and Spain passed it by coming from behind against one of international football's strongest sides.

Spain Now Turn Their Attention to Croatia

The Wembley victory gives Spain an ideal start to their Nations League campaign, but De la Fuente is already looking beyond England.

Spain face Croatia next on September 29, with another demanding Group A3 encounter awaiting the world champions.

For a team chasing continued improvement rather than simply protecting its record, the next challenge will be maintaining the standards that De la Fuente believes allowed Spain to recover at Wembley.

The manager's argument after the match was not that England failed to threaten them.

It was that Spain's response to England's best spell ultimately showed why the world champions remain so difficult to beat.

⚽ Fan Debate

🔥 Fire: Spain came from behind at Wembley and kept their incredible unbeaten run alive.

😲 Shock: England led 2-1 and then missed the chance to make it 3-1 from the penalty spot.

👍 Like: Oyarzabal has now produced another huge Wembley moment against England.

💬 Comment: Did Spain really control the game, or did England simply fail to punish them?