Chris Knows: England vs Spain Match Preview

Thomas Tuchel begins the next stage of his tenure as England manager with a Nations League campaign, which starts against Spain on Saturday.

The pain of the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina has had time to settle, with the former Chelsea coach admitting he made mistakes in the final stages of that titanic clash.

Fans, whilst initially livid with England’s approach, have softened after seeing Tuchel’s squad selection for the current international break, with many believing the German has learned a valuable lesson from the summer.

It must be said that some of England’s football in the World Cup was stupendous. They attacked really well at times and showed the structure of a really strong international team.

The process must now be about refinement. Tuchel has to find a way of playing that is repeatable and can stand the emotional test of a knockout fixture against equally strong opponents.

Expectations for this generation of English footballers are high. Euro 2028 is seen as a perfect opportunity to end the 62-year wait for an international trophy… especially with the competition being played on home soil.

World Champions Provide The Ideal Test

England’s first match of the Nations League comes against the World Champions.

Spain emerged victorious from the United States in the summer and were seen as perhaps the best footballing team in the tournament.

It was a fair representation of their squad depth, individual quality and brand of football.

The question now is whether England can live with them ahead of Euro 2028.

La Roja have to be the benchmark for Thomas Tuchel. That is the level he must want his team to aspire to reach.

Facing them so soon after the World Cup is an ideal fixture.

There are injury issues for Tuchel to wrestle with, though.

Lewis Hall has missed training in the build-up to the game due to an injury and is unlikely to be available for selection.

This followed the prior withdrawals of Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento.

Such absences provide an opportunity for others to shine. Trent Alexander-Arnold is back involved in the international setup, whilst Myles Lewis-Skelly and Alex Scott could be given their first real shot at minutes on the international stage.

England know how Spain are going to play. La Roja will dominate possession and be patient in creating chances. The Three Lions need to be energetic and aggressive out of possession to disrupt the Spanish rhythm.

Anthony Gordon has taken to life in Spain with Barcelona like a duck to water, and that could be a secret weapon for England.

His electric pace can cause problems on the counter-attack, whilst he will be required to press from the front to disturb Spain’s careful build-up.

Harry Kane is ever-present, and with him on the pitch, England always have the threat of scoring a goal.

Chris’ Pick

It’s difficult to see England being able to blow Spain away. They are the best international side in the world. I do, however, think this will be a closer matchup than people think.

England are an elite side; they just don’t quite handle the big moments especially well.

The Nations League isn’t the sort of tournament that will throw up those high-pressure moments. I think that will help England.

Both teams will score in this game; I’m convinced of that, but I find it difficult to see either team doing enough to go out and grab a victory.

I really like the BTTS across the entire match market. Bet365 are currently offering 4/6 on that, which is what I’d go with.

Under four total goals at 4/11 with Bet365 is also a market that I’d look at as a secondary prediction. I don’t think both teams will score twice.