Here is another interesting duel in the UEFA Nations League. This Monday evening, Spain welcome England at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville. The hosts are the favorites in this match, particularly for the fact that they are at the top of the Group 4 of the League A with six points after two rounds. Perhaps the Three Lions can put an end to their winning streak? Maybe this Spain vs England match preview will help you find the answer to that question!
Spain
After a sort of disappointing performance at the World Cup this summer, Spain are back on the right track. They’ve won every game since losing to Russia on penalties in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. And those games include two UEFA Nations League matches, as well as a friendly they played last Thursday.
The most important game of those three is the match with the runner-up of the World Cup 2018, Croatia, which finished 6:0 in Spain’s favor. That game saw Luis Enrique’s boys playing fantastic in literally every part of the pitch. They had the ball in their possession for most of the match, creating a huge number of chances. And most importantly, they managed to turn six of those chances into goals.
Although every player in this team has been playing really well, there’s one guy that really stands out with his performances. I’m talking about Marco Asensio, who scored one goal against Croatia while making three assists. He didn’t feature in the friendly against Wales, which Spain won 4:1, but this means that he’s properly rested and ready to give his utmost against England.
England
After two rounds of the Nations League, England are on the second place with one point. They lost to Spain in the first round, while last Friday, they played 0:0 with Croatia at an empty stadium on Croatia’s coast. Those who watched it describe the match as one of the most boring matches England played for a while. Sure, there weren’t too many excitements, but England did have a few attempts on goal, which were stopped by Croatia’s goalie.
England also did very well defensively, but they’ll have to do much, much better tonight, when they’re playing against enthusiastic Spain, who seem to be in the mood for scoring goals. We saw Southgate playing with four defenders in that game. But, maybe now he’ll have to go with 5-3-2, considering how strong Spain are in the attack.
The problem is that if he decides to play with three central-defenders, he will have only one suitable substitute for them. Actually, that was the reason why England played with back four, instead of back five against Croatia. It did them well on Friday, but could backfire horribly this time.
Possible Lineups
Spain
De Gea – Ramos, Nacho, Azpilicueta, Alonso – Busquets, Saul, Isco, Asensio, Ceballos – Rodrigo
England
Butland – Maguire, Gomez, Walker, Chilwell – Handerson, Dier, Barkley – Sterling, Sancho, Kane
Spain vs England Match Preview & Betting Tips
England had a really good opportunity to get three points against out-of-form Croatia who were playing without any supporters on the stands. But, they failed to score in that game. They’re now facing a much tougher challenge, where they will probably struggle to get the ball in their possession. Spain are bound to be the ones attacking in this game and I think at least one of their chances will result in a goal. But, will England be able to strike back? I don’t think they’ll have too many opportunities for that.
Spain vs England Betting Tips
- Spain @1.66 (bet365)