The biggest test for interim England manager Gareth Soutgate in his audition to take the role on a permanent basis arrives in the form of erstwhile World and European champions Spain, who will square off against the Three Lions on Tuesday evening.
Southgate is almost sure to be offered the role by the FA following a 3-0 win over Scotland, but his three games so far have been against opponents currently ranked 178th (Malta), 52nd (Slovenia) and 57th (Scotland) and a win against La Furia Roja (10th in the world) will go a long way in re-assuring his bosses that he is the right man for the job following the abrupt departure of Sam Allardyce
The two teams met last year in Alicante- a fixture Spain comfortably won 2-0. Michael Carrick and Fabian Delph, both of whom started for the visitors that evening, have not been seen in an England shirt since, perhaps a testament to the influence of Thiago Alcantara in that game.
Video highlights from the last meeting between England and Spain
While England and Eric Dier (who made his debut then) in particular will not remember the Alicante game too fondly, they will be keen to draw inspiration from their 1-0 win over the Spanish at Wembley back in 2011. That was against a full strength Spanish side at the peak of their powers- one that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012. The win, secured thanks to a solitary Frank Lampard goal, is widely remembered as one of England’s best in recent times, with standout defensive performances from the likes of Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka and Scott Parker.
Frank Lampard scores in England’s win over Spain in 2011
That Lampard goal was the only time England have managed to breach Spain’s defence in the last five meetings between the two sides. The Three Lions are expected to find it equally hard tomorrow night, with new Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui having conceded only one goal in his five games in charge of the national team.
Spain under Julen Lopetegui
Spain 4-0 Macedonia
Albania 0-2 Spain
Italy 1-1 Spain
Spain 8-0 Liechtenstein
Belgium 0-2 Spain
Like Southgate, Lopetegui has also come through the junior ranks- he was formerly Spain’s U21 coach before taking over from Vicente Del Bosque after a disappointing performance from the Seleccion at Euro 2016.
All this probably points to why the punters have Spain as favourites for this clash. Betway have England at 21/10 (and Spain at 6/4 at the time of writing), and if you fancy England to do a 2011 encore at those odds, then you might be interested in checking out http://betting-sites.org.uk, which offers £100 in free bets for the bookmaker.
Southgate has released Harry Kane back to Spurs, which means we could see Jamie Vardy in line for his first start in national colours since the Euros. Southgate has said he would like to see how other players perform, which means the likes of Jack Wilshere, Ryan Bertrand and Tom Heaton could all be set to play some part.
It won’t be an easy one for Southgate- England’s record against top nations in recent years is scratchy, and world champions Germany await them next (in March ’17) if he gets the gig on a permanent basis. However he is seeking clarity, and fast, on his future, given that his U21’s have also qualified for next year’s European Championships.
Will England remain undefeated under Southgate?
England v Spain at the Wembley Stadium, London (KO 19.45 on 15 November)