Eight-and-a-half months after they locked horns in the final of Euro 2025, England and Spain meet once more on Tuesday night time in entrance of greater than 70,000 spectators at Wembley, persevering with their qualification campaigns for one more event in which they met in the final last time out: the Women’s World Cup.
Despite the comparatively temporary interval since occasions in Basel, Spain arrive in London with a noticeably contemporary look in the form of a brand new head coach and a crop of rising younger gamers. They have already gained a trophy below Sonia Bermúdez, who led them to the Nations League title after changing Montse Tomé, and, in contrast to England, are unbeaten since the Euros, with Bermúdez having overseen 5 wins and a draw in six matches.
“They have some other players but their DNA stays the same,” stated the England head coach, Sarina Wiegman, on the eve of Tuesday’s qualifier. “They really want to have the ball. They play very dynamically and they really want to go forward, whether that’s in possession or out of possession.
“I don’t think that’s going to change because that’s totally in their system and in their DNA. So yes, there might be some little tweaks, but in principle it will be very similar. And that’s what we’ve seen also with the new coach coming.”
The guests’ ones-to-watch record is lengthy and coming into competition this season are children such because the in-form Atlético Madrid midfielder Fiamma Benítez, whose seven purpose contributions in the Champions League this season have been greater than another participant whose facet didn’t attain the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old’s imaginative and prescient and intelligent darts into the penalty space are partly why Bermúdez introduced her on to interchange Alexia Putellas as an impression substitute in every of Spain’s previous two matches. Since then she has scored three targets in 5 Atlético video games.
The Barcelona winger Vicky López, one other younger expertise, was a late substitute for Spain throughout final summer time’s final and has subsequently grow to be a daily starter below Bermúdez, who additionally has a option to make in regards to her central striker, with Esther González obtainable once more after coming back from maternity depart and Real Sociedad’s Edna Imade impressing with targets in Spain’s latest wins over Iceland and Ukraine. Bermúdez might additionally go for Barcelona’s Salma Paralluelo.
As younger stars break into the group, established figures are notably absent, none extra so than the Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, who stays sidelined after sustaining a damaged leg in direction of the tip of final yr. Spain will even be with out the previous Manchester City centre-back Laia Aleixandri on Tuesday after she underwent surgical procedure on an anterior cruciate ligament harm in February.
For England, who prime thequalifying group on purpose distinction above Spain, Leah Williamson is an harm doubt. The captain has been out of motion since March with a hamstring harm but educated along with her worldwide teammates at St George’s Park on Monday. “We have been really careful with her, and she’s careful, her club have been careful,” Wiegman stated. “We made a plan [for her return]. She’s good in this plan and I don’t want to give anything more away. But she is moving forward well.”
England will undoubtedly need to make a minimum of one change from the beginning XI that beat Spain in Switzerland, with the midfielder Ella Toone out injured. Jess Park will doubtless begin in her Manchester United teammate’s place as a part of an England assault that also needs to embrace the in-form Alessia Russo, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp.
Meanwhile Keira Walsh is in line to win her a hundredth cap. Praising the Chelsea midfielder, Wiegman stated: “She has enormous vision and game understanding. When I came in, I thought: ‘Oh, [she’s] even better than I thought.’ She is an important player in leading the team in how we want to play.”
