Spain edge England in Wembley thriller to extend unbeaten run

Spain claimed another memorable victory by beating England 3-2 in a spectacular Nations League showdown at Wembley. Goals from Lamine Yamal, Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal in the second half sealed the win that extends La Roja's impressive unbeaten run to 39 official matches.

The match started with an early blow. After just two minutes, an uncharacteristic error from Marc Guehi gifted the ball to Lamine Yamal, who made no mistake against James Trafford. "An uncharacteristic error gifted the ball - and the opening goal - to Lamine Yamal," the England defender admitted afterwards. The Barcelona forward, with 9 goals and 6 assists in his first 9 games of the season, scored the third-fastest goal ever conceded by England at Wembley.

England reacted and turned the scoreline around before half-time. Jude Bellingham set up Anthony Gordon for the equaliser in the 36th minute, and four minutes later Harry Kane headed home from a Nico O'Reilly cross to make it 2-1. However, the Bayern Munich striker missed a penalty just before the break, slipping and hitting the crossbar.

Baena and Oyarzabal deliver

The second half belonged to Spain. Luis de la Fuente made changes and one of them, Álex Baena, scored the equaliser on the hour mark following an assist from Dani Olmo. The Villarreal player became the first in 20 years to both score and provide an assist at Wembley after coming off the bench. Fourteen minutes later, it was Baena who delivered the decisive pass for Mikel Oyarzabal, with the Real Sociedad captain beating Trafford to net the definitive 3-2 winner.

This goal is Oyarzabal's fifth in eight appearances for the national team this season, confirming him as the squad's top scorer.

Road to the World Cup

The win at Wembley, which follows recent victories against Argentina, France and Belgium, consolidates Spain's position at the top of the world rankings. The team has scored five goals and conceded none in their first three qualifying matches, showing formidable balance. With a four-point lead over their closest challenger, De la Fuente's side approach their next fixture with great confidence.

Spain are back in action next Tuesday, 29 September, hosting Croatia in another Nations League encounter. Another win would move the team even closer to the tournament's final phase. The lineup and any updates for that match will be available in our squad section.

The original report is at BBC Sport Football