Spain lead the group on 15 points and England are second on 12 points ahead of their meeting at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on Sunday 15 November, with kick-off at 19:45 UK time. Spain have won all of their group games so far, while England have already sealed a quarter-final place, according to Sports Mole. Yahoo Sports reports that only a defeat by 2 or more goals would let England finish above Spain at the top of the table.
What is at stake for Spain and England in Madrid?
Spain go into the fixture top of the table with 15 points from 5 games, having won 5, drawn 0 and lost 0. Yahoo Sports says Spain are virtually assured of first place after winning every group game so far.
England sit on 12 points, and Sports Mole reports that their 2-1 win over Croatia on Thursday sealed a quarter-final place. The same outlet says an England win in Madrid would lift them above Spain, while Yahoo Sports says only a Spain defeat by 2 or more goals would hand England top spot.
How have Spain been playing in the Nations League?
Spain opened with a 3-2 win over England on 26 September, then beat Croatia 4-1 and Czechia 3-1. Spain followed that with a 2-1 win over Croatia and a 2-0 victory against Czechia on 12 November.
Spain have 14 total goals and 9 assists, with 5 goals against and a goal difference of 9. Lamine Yamal leads Spain with 4 goals in 4 matches and 14 total shots, Dani Olmo has 3 assists in 3 matches, and Unai Simón has made 8 saves for Spain. Pau Cubarsí has 328 accurate passes for Spain.
What form are England in before the trip to Spain?
England lost 3-2 to Spain on 26 September, then beat Czechia 2-0 and Croatia 7-0. England went on to beat Czechia 3-0 and edged Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on 12 November.
England have 16 total goals, 13 assists, 4 goals against and a goal difference of 12. Harry Kane leads England with 7 goals in 5 matches and 14 total shots, Jude Bellingham has 5 assists in 5 matches, and Elliot Anderson has 358 accurate passes for England. Jordan Pickford has made 5 saves for England.
Is Lamine Yamal fit and who returns for England?
Yahoo Sports reports that Lamine Yamal sat out the win over Czechia because of minor knee discomfort. He followed a special training programme in Catalonia and rejoined the Spain squad on Friday. De la Fuente has confirmed that Yamal is available for Sunday's fixture against England. He leads Spain's scoring with 4 goals in 4 matches.
For England, Sports Mole expects Lewis-Skelly and Konsa to return. Lewis-Skelly was suspended for the Croatia match and Konsa was injured. Konsa may come in for Quansah. Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Rogers and Gordon are all expected to keep their starting places. Captain Harry Kane, who has 126 caps, should lead the attack under Tuchel, and he has 7 goals in 5 matches.
The numbers at Scorely
| Team | Last 5 |
|---|---|
| Spain | W 3-2 vs. England, W 4-1 vs. Croatia, W 3-1 vs. Czechia, W 2-1 vs. Croatia, W 2-0 vs. Czechia |
| England | L 3-2 vs. Spain, W 2-0 vs. Czechia, W 7-0 vs. Croatia, W 3-0 vs. Czechia, W 2-1 vs. Croatia |
| Team | Record |
|---|---|
| Spain | 5-0-0 |
| England | 4-0-1 |
Data source: ESPN; calculation and table by Scorely.
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