Álex Baena changes Spain's course at Wembley and amazes
At Wembley Stadium, under Saturday rain, Atlético de Madrid substitute Álex Baena came on in the second half with Spain trailing against England and, from the bench, scored the equaliser and then assisted Mikel Oyarzabal for the final 2‑3.
Baena's impact at Wembley
Baena levelled the score with a strike from outside the box, breaking England's lead. The goal came in the minutes of play, re‑activating the Spanish attack.
After the draw, Baena found Mikel Oyarzabal, who received the pass and finished the 2‑3 that sealed the victory. The move came in the second half, when Spain had already overcome the deficit.
Luis de la Fuente had called up Baena alongside Ferran Torres and Nico Williams, replacing Mikel Oyarzabal in the starting lineup. Spain went from trailing 2‑1 at halftime to winning in London. The triumph came in the national team's debut with its second star in the Nations League. The feat extended the national team's run of 39 official matches without defeat.
Álex Baena pushes Spain to stay alive in the Nations League
Other Atlético internationals
The other two red‑and‑white players called up, Rodrigo Grimaldo and Álvaro Pubill, did not start the match. In another game, Jan Oblak kept Slovenia's 0‑0 draw against Scotland in Ljubljana, making three saves in the second half, two of them in the 73rd minute. Likewise, Jonathan David scored in the 12th minute the only goal for Canada in its 1‑0 win over Chile in Toronto.
Obed Vargas made his debut in the second half of the 1‑1 draw between Mexico and Colombia in Baltimore, his first minutes of the season. Morten Hjulmand played 88 minutes in Denmark's 3‑2 loss to Norway, completing 87 passes, 82 successful, two key passes and a shot on target.
In the Under‑21s, Esquivel, Atlético's third goalkeeper, played the full match against Finland, while Rodrigo Mendoza featured in the second half. Both teams lost 2‑1, a victory that would have secured qualification for the European Championship. Several talents are yet to debut, including Julián Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone with Argentina, and Kang‑in Lee with South Korea.
Spain reaffirms its global standing in Nations League debut
The club summed up the day as the big day for its internationals on its official channels. The squad will not meet again with coach Simeone until the week of October 5, when preparations begin for the match against Alavés.