Spain Turn the Tables on England, and Oyarzabal Takes London Back to That Night in Berlin

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Lamine Yamal scores after two minutes, England turn the game around in four minutes, then goals from Baena and Oyarzabal win the second half for La Roja. Spain win 3-2 in the opening game of Group 3 in the UEFA Nations League.

Spain needed only two minutes to make their presence felt. What they needed more was patience. The match began with Spain in front and ended with Spain winning. In between, England had a spell when they thought the night belonged to them, until they learned that football rewards the side that can protect a lead, not the side that simply gets one.

Yamal's opening statement

Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead in the second minute. The early goal felt like the next chapter of a story that began in the summer of 2024, when the teenager was the standout figure in the Spain side that beat England in the Euro final. A second-minute goal does not decide a match, but it forces the opponent to spend the rest of the night chasing.

England's four-minute illusion

England answered with their best weapons: speed and ruthlessness. Anthony Gordon equalised in the 36th minute, and Harry Kane added a second only four minutes later. The score flipped in a moment, and England went in at half-time leading 2-1. A lead built that quickly is also fragile. A team that can score twice in four minutes can concede twice in the second half just as easily.

Second half: Spain find themselves again

Spain's response was calm and deadly. Álex Baena brought the game back to level in the 60th minute. In the 74th minute Mikel Oyarzabal struck, the same man who scored the winner in the Berlin final, and England felt the old wound again. His goal settled the result, but it also showed that some rivalries become a psychological knot long before they are a tactical problem.

Reading the result

The match shows a clear pattern. England have the names and the ability to strike suddenly. Spain have the rhythm and the stamina to last. England produced their best football in a four-minute burst, while Spain spread their goals across the full ninety minutes. Between emotion and organisation, the balance once again tipped towards the team that plays the whole match, not just its moments.

These are three points from the first round of the Nations League, but in England's memory they weigh much more. Spain did more than win. They confirmed that the Berlin final was no passing exception.

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