Key events
14 mins: McAtee is available this summer. City want £25m but you’d have to think there is a deal to be done. Nottingham Forest are very keen.
12 mins: After a shaky start, England have grown and looked relatively calm. The most attacking six have looked decent. Carsley just needs his defence to replicate that.
Stansfield has another decent chance but his finish from just outside the box is wild.
GOAL! Spain 0-1 England (McAtee, 10)
Hutchinson is looking lively down the left and he will be pleased to have Stansfield permanently waiting in the box, something lacking against Germany. The Ipswich man wins a corner, which Scott goes over to take. There is a little pinball in the box and McAtee reacts quickest to steer home.
8 mins: After a very silly start from England, they are looking to calm things down. They are having their first spell of possession as they look to beat the Spanish press.
6 mins: Joe Hart is convinced the referee was correct to overturn the decision but I feel he is just being patriotic.
5 mins: NO PENALTY! The referee is having a look. I am very, very surprised. The ball travelled a good distance and hit Cresswell on the arm but the referee annuls his original decision. He must now think his arm was closer to the body than when he blew his whistle.
4 mins: The referee is sent to the monitor … I mean it definitely hits his arm.
2 mins: PENALTY TO SPAIN! Lopez shoots from range and it hits Cresswell on the arm.
1 min: A good chance for Lopez early on after a deep cross from the left is headed back across goal but the Spanish midfielder can’t direct the ball on target.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
One mascot has just legged it way from the England team and then realised he’s gone too early, sprinting back into position.
Channel 4’s coverage is so weird. A long time discussing who is not there and now showing Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe combining for a goal 20 years ago. They’ve just remembered the match kicks off in six minutes.
Ian Copestake emails: “Wishing our boys the best. Glad Morton is starting as he impressed Slot. Looks like the strongest team we can start with as Carsley took a chance to rest players like Livramento last time round.”
Can I claim this as a preview?
Lee Carsley: “We knew physically it would be a demanding tournament, so we have to make sure we get the balance right. I don’t want players getting injured because they are playing too much.
“The the last two games, we’ve started slowly. It is important we start fast with our possession and contacts.
“It is a totally different squad and team. We know whenever we play Spain, we know the will be exceptional tactically and technically.”
Peter Ohs says: “There’s been a lot of talk about England’s attack, but I get the feeling that today the spotlight will be on defence. I can hear it now, Beadle absolutely belting out the chorus to ‘Get Back’.”
In the first quarter final of the day, Netherlands defeated Portugal 1-0 despite playing for almost 70 minutes with 10 men after Ruben van Bommel was sent off for two bookable offences. He will have been the most relieved man when Ernst Poku netted a late winner.
Lee Carsley is hoping success with England Under-21 would be a great boost to the confidence of British coaches.
“It’s a great chance for us to enhance our reputation because I think that’s a big thing,” said Carsley. “We talk about British coaches getting more opportunities and, at this stage, if a British coach can go against a Spanish coach and the team can really perform well it helps not just myself but British coaches in general. I’m not sure I’m flying the flag, but it’s important when people watch the under-21s at home they’re excited by the way they’re playing.
“We want to see real attacking football, aggressive football, because you know what we’ve done in the past has got us to this position. If we’re going to win major tournaments, these are the moments where we have to step up.”
Starting lineups
Spain (4-2-3-1): Iturbe; Pubill, Tarrega, Mosquera, Bueno; Guerra, Turrientes; Juanlu, Moleiro, Lopez; Joseph
Subs: Fraga, Cunat, Rafa Marin, Torre, Moro, Garcia, Jaureguizar, Herzog, Rodriguez, Fernandez, Pablo Marin
England (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Hinshelwood, Quansah, Cresswell, Livramento; Scott, Morton; Elliott, McAtee, Hutchinson; Stansfield
Subs: Simkin, Sharman-Lowe, Edwards, Hackney, Fellows, Anderson, Rowe, Norton-Cuffy, Gray, Egan-Riley, Iling-Junior, Nwaneri
Preamble
Holders England have struggled through to this point, which is probably not ideal preparation for facing the tournament favourites Spain. Lee Carsley’s side lost to Germany’s second string last time out and do so in relatively meek fashion. They dominated possession but were impressively blunt in the final third.
There is plenty of quality at Carsley’s disposal but they are missing a No 9. Jay Stansfield made a difference against Germany and might get the nod here over Jonathan Rowe.
England beat Spain two years ago to win the competition but this is a very different squad and with key men at the Club World Cup, they are doing their best but do not give the impression of going all the way. That could all change with a dominant display here but the past week has not suggested such a thing is coming.
Kick-off 8pm BST
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