Defiant Luis de la Fuente insists Spain 'controlled' superpower England in dramatic Wembley win

De la Fuente was in a defiant mood following his side's narrow victory in London, suggesting that the final scoreline perhaps flattered the hosts. The visitors got off to a dream start when teenage sensation Lamine Yamal found the back of the net after just two minutes, but the match quickly shifted momentum as Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane struck in quick succession to give England a 2-1 advantage heading into the interval. Despite the setback, De la Fuente was adamant that his team dictated the flow of the game for the vast majority of the evening.

"I think the game was under control most of the time, apart from the six or seven minutes where we got disconnected and they punished us," the Spain boss told reporters. "We had to pay more attention to cover the spaces against a rival against England and a superpower with their talent -- but I think we had the game under control. This generation is exceptional and they are still hungry, and still want to keep playing. Numbers are objective indicators of what we see -- but we still want to improve and grow."

The contest could have taken a very different path early in the second half when England were awarded a penalty after Jude Bellingham was brought down inside the area. However, Harry Kane uncharacteristically rattled the crossbar with his effort from twelve yards, a miss that seemed to galvanise the Spanish side. Just minutes later, Alex Baena drew the visitors level with a clinical finish on the hour mark, before Mikel Oyarzabal completed the comeback in the 74th minute to extend Spain's remarkable unbeaten streak to 39 matches across all competitions.

Reflecting on the team's ability to navigate difficult periods, De la Fuente expressed immense pride in the collective spirit of his squad. "All the praise goes to the players," he remarked. "They are a group and we talked about this yesterday -- we've formed a team that goes beyond professional level. We make sacrifices -- but the players adapt to the models we impose and I respect their ambition -- they want to grow, and there is room for improvement. We had clear chances, but we missed those but I'd like to underline our capacity to come back. Even if we were 3-1 down, we'd have come back like we did from 2-1. The important thing is we bounced back."

While the team performance was the primary focus, the manager also took time to highlight the contributions of specific individuals who stepped up in the high-pressure environment of Wembley. Ferran Torres was handed the responsibility of leading the line and, despite missing two significant opportunities in the opening period, earned the praise of his coach for his work rate and constant threat. De la Fuente also reserved special mention for Yamal, whose early goal set the tone for another display of maturity beyond his years on the international stage.

"The important thing is Ferran is a beast in front of goal," De la Fuente noted. "I'm satisfied with his performance and attitude -- everything is teamwork. It doesn't matter who comes on -- the important thing is they help each other as a team." Regarding the Barcelona youngster Yamal, the coach added: "Yamal is an exceptional player, and he adapts to every moment in every game. He adapts and plays according to the moment and what's necessary."

The victory leaves Spain in a strong position in the group, particularly following results elsewhere in the section. In the other match in the group, Croatia beat Czechia 2-1 away from home, with a goal from Modric. The stage is now set for a heavyweight clash between the two winning sides in the next round of fixtures. On Tuesday, Spain will face Croatia. It will be a meeting of two tactical powerhouses, with the Spanish looking to hit the 40-game milestone in their unbeaten odyssey. England, meanwhile, will visit Czechia on the same day.