Claudia Pina played the super sub role as the world champions got revenge over their visitors after losing at Wembley back in February
England missed out on the Nations League finals for the second time in a row after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Spain despite Alessia Russo giving the Lionesses the lead in Barcelona on Tuesday night. Sarina Wiegman's side needed to beat the world champions to qualify for the next stage of the competition and they looked to be on course to do so, until the coach's substitutions changed the performance for the worse. It was quite the opposite situation for Spain, as Claudia Pina came off the bench and made the most of the space afforded to her, scoring twice in 10 minutes to turn the game around.
It looked set to be a tough night for England, with Spain peppering their goal early on and Hannah Hampton forced into one particularly impressive save in the opening few minutes, until a moment of magic from Keira Walsh released Russo. Threaded through on goal perfectly, the in-form Arsenal star was never going to miss, curling the ball beyond Cata Coll to break the deadlock midway through the first half.
However, there was only so long that the Lionesses could ride their luck. After Niamh Charles was relieved to see penalty shouts for a handball waved away and Esther Gonzalez fired a few half-chances off target, it was Pina who finally found the breakthrough that Spain had been searching for, darting into the box and picking out the far bottom corner expertly. England were aware what could happen if they gave the Barcelona star too much space, then, and yet they did exactly that again just minutes later, allowing Pina time to rifle an effort beyond Hampton to seal all three points.
It secures La Roja's place in the Nations League finals, to take place later this year, meaning they will have the chance to defend a title they won in February of last year. The Lionesses, meanwhile, will be playing friendlies when they return to action in the autumn – but their focus, now, switches entirely to next month's European Championships and the defence of their own continental crown.
GOAL rates England's players from the RCDE Stadium…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (6/10):
Made a fantastic reflex save in the first few minutes but had to command her area and collect Putellas' cross before Spain's equaliser.
Lucy Bronze (7/10):
Said a lot that almost immediately after she left the field, England conceded down her side. Kept Putellas relatively quiet.
Leah Williamson (6/10):
Made a couple of concerning early errors that, fortunately for her, went unpunished. Settled down after that to be relatively solid in a tight game.
Alex Greenwood (5/10):
Sprayed some nice passes around, though was also guilty of a couple of sloppy moments.
Niamh Charles (4/10):
Looked vulnerable throughout and was lucky not to concede a penalty for what was a blatant handball.
AdvertisementMidfield
Keira Walsh (6/10):
Played a sensational pass to put Russo through on goal to score. Lost possession a little too often, though.
Georgia Stanway (7/10):
Really solid on her first start, for club or country, in seven months. Didn't misplace a pass and won all of her duels before going off at the break.
Jess Park (4/10):
Couldn't get involved in the game at all.
Getty ImagesAttack
Beth Mead (5/10):
Created a great chance in the first half with a fantastic free-kick deliver, but was otherwise quiet and couldn't make much impact.
Alessia Russo (7/10):
Had one chance and finished it brilliantly to give England the lead.
Lauren Hemp (5/10):
Worked hard and had some nice moments, but couldn't be consistently effective. Lost the ball for Spain's second goal.
Subs & Manager
Missy Bo Kearns (4/10):
Came off the bench at half time for her England debut. It was a baptism of fire really, against this Spain midfield, and she was far too easily lost by Pina for La Roja's second goal.
Jess Carter (4/10):
Replaced Bronze before the hour and her first involvement was a tough one, as Pina's shot squeezed through her legs and beyond Hampton. The Spain forward was a nightmare for her as she tried to get to grips with a position she hasn't played for a long time.
Chloe Kelly (4/10):
Had over half an hour to make an impact but couldn't really get involved.
Ella Toone (N/A):
Replaced Park in the latter stages.
Aggie Beever-Jones (N/A):
On for the final few minutes.
Sarina Wiegman (5/10):
It's hard to criticise Wiegman too much because the subs she made were important for the long-term, with minutes for Stanway and Bronze clearly being managed and the European Championships right around the corner. However, the removal of those two players ultimately cost England this result, which ends their Nations League campaign. Could've opted to introduce different players perhaps.