Spain edge out England in five-goal Nations League thriller

26 Sep 2026, 20:55 by Press Association · The42

England 2-3 Spain

ENGLAND EMBRACED THE chaos but failed to see off Spain as the world champions punished Harry Kane’s missed spot-kick to secure a 3-2 comeback win in Saturday’s helter-skelter Nations League opener.

Thomas Tuchel’s men returned to action 10 weeks on from the agonising World Cup semi-final collapse to Argentina looking to lift the mood against the side which defeated them in the Euro 2024 final.

Lamine Yamal capitalised on a Marc Guehi error to give Spain a second-minute lead which they could easily have added to in a wild first half that England ended on top.

Tuchel spoke of the need to “embrace the chaos” of English football in the build-up and Anthony Gordon’s fine goal on the break was quickly followed by a header from Ballon d’Or favourite Kane.

The skipper had the chance to extend their lead after the break only to strike the crossbar as he slipped taking a penalty, allowing Spain to highlight their quality and England’s problems under pressure.

Substitute Alex Baena levelled after Nico O’Reilly coughed up the ball and patient play ended with Euro 2024 match-winner Mikel Oyarzabal coolly putting Spain back ahead.

England pushed for a point but their first game back in the Nations League top tier ended in a loss which leaves Tuchel with plenty to ponder.

Slovenia 0-0 Scotland

Scotland and Slovenia shared the points from a stalemate. Igor Kupljenik / AP.Igor Kupljenik / AP. / AP.

Scotland’s ramped-up second-half performance offered some cause for optimism as Sebastien Pocognoli’s tenure as head coach began with a goalless draw with Slovenia in Ljubljana.

The 39-year-old Belgian head coach, appointed in August as Steve Clarke’s successor, refreshed the side for the Nations League Group B1 opener in the Stozice Stadium, but they were fortunate on a couple of occasions at least not to fall behind before rallying before the break.

Scotland had been insipid and uninspiring for most of the first half but after the interval they played with pace and purpose as Slovenia captain and goalkeeper Jan Oblak became a key figure.

However, the goal that would have made the former Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco manager’s debut as an international boss more memorable ultimately failed to arrive.

In this extended international break, the Scots will host Switzerland at Hampden on Tuesday and then travel to North Macedonia before taking on Slovenia in Glasgow, with the Tartan Army hoping to see further improvement – and goals.