England host Spain at the Wembley Stadium in an international friendly as Gareth Southgate looks to further bolster his claim for a permanent contract.
England entertain La Furia as part of their international break. Even though it is labelled an international friendly, there will be an array of world-class players on display at the Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night and neither team would want to lose.
The players from both the sides would hope to impress their respective bosses in order to strengthen their claim to be a more integral part of the national squad. The Hard Tackle provides a preview into the battle of two European powerhouses, one eager to perform while other determined to regain their status among the European Elites after faltering in recent tournaments.
Team News & Tactics
England
The match is, perhaps, of more significance to interim manager Gareth Southgate than to his Spanish counterpart with the fixture against Spain serving as the last in his term as interim manager of the national squad. The England U21 has chosen to remain quiet on conjectures about a permanent contract as the top boss but a good performance against Spain could virtually confirm his appointment as the Three Lions head-coach.
England has performed admirably under the former Middlesbrough manager, with the latest win coming over the weekend in a 3-0 drubbing of Scotland. Harry Kane was not selected in the starting lineup and Southgate confirmed that the striker has been allowed to leave for Tottenham after having failed to gain match fitness.
There is not much update in terms of squad available elsewhere other than the fact that Burnley defender Michael Keane, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea and his former club Manchester United, is in line to make his senior debut for the Three Lions after being picked in the squad for the second time.
Southgate could experiment a bit with the starting lineup but is unlikely to chop and change too much in the wake of the fixture serving as the last part of his supposed practical screening for the position of head-coach.
Southgate chose to start Wayne Rooney against Scotland but could choose to give youngsters a chance to impress. On the other hand, the boss could very well start Wayne Rooney again and a good performance against La Roja could spur the Manchester United captain on to better performances for both club and country.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Clyne, Keane, Cahill, Rose; Henderson, Dier; Walcott, Rooney, Rashford; Vardy
Spain
Julen Lopetegui seems to have steadied the ship after the departure of Vicente Del Bosque, who is one of the most successful managers for the national squad, after a string of disappointing results in the FIFA 2014 World Cup followed by a similarly lacklustre showing at the Euro 2016.
But, the Spanish football team has struggled, to an extent, even under Lopetegui, to match their previous successful self. They have had decent outings but were lacking the flair which is often associated with the national squad.
In-form Chelsea striker Diego Costa is sidelined for the game after suffering a groin injury.
The Spanish national football team boasts of as many as six players who ply their trade currently in the English Premier League.
Lopetegui may be forced to feature some relatively new faces as far as the international scene goes, thanks to injuries to a string of key players, with the likes of Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba and Javi Martinez all out of reckoning for the match against Spain.
The Manchester United trio – De Gea, Herrera and Mata – are all in line to start at the Wembley stadium as Lopetegui still searches for his best combinations.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): De Gea; Sergi Roberto; Marc Bartra, Inigo Martinez, Azpilicueta; Herrera, Busquets, Koke; Mata, Aduriz, Nolito
Key Stats:
1. The two nations have faced each other 24 times, with England coming out victorious in 13 matches compared to Spain’s 9 victories with 2 games ending in draws.
2. England’s 7-1 win over Spain in the early 20th century is tied for the heaviest defeat inflicted on Spain in La Roja‘s footballing history.
3. Wayne Rooney needs just 6 caps to match English legend Peter Shilton as the player with the most appearances for the Three Lions and 7 to eclipse the former goalkeeper.
4. The likes of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Ander Herrera could be set to earn their first senior international caps on Tuesday night for England and Spain respectively.
5. Spain have won 4 of the previous 5 meetings against England in all competitions.
Prediction:
England 2 – 1 Spain
The fixture, being Southgate’s final fixture as part of his tenure as interim manager of the Three Lions, could serve as additional motivation for the boss and the team to get a positive result. This, coupled with the string of injuries to Spain’s key players, could set the scene for a win for England on Tuesday night.
