England embrace the art of winning without the ball against Spain

Sarina Wiegman’s side were content to concede possession at Wembley, trusting their structure, discipline and efficiency to deliver another big result

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When England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in February last year, Sarina Wiegman took the opportunity to coin the term “Proper England” after the match. On that night, England showed all the hallmarks English footballers are typically typecast with – grit, passion and determination – as they held on to a first-half lead to secure a win that laid the foundations for their Euro 2025 final triumph.

On Tuesday night, it was a similar story. Once again, England took a first-half lead – this time as early as the third minute, after Lauren Hemp poked home a loose ball in the box following a brilliant piece of improvisation from Alessia Russo. Over the remaining 87 minutes, England were largely able to keep their Spanish counterparts at arm’s length. Across the 90 minutes, England had less than 40% possession and, while Wiegman said afterwards that she would have preferred to see her side do more with the ball, this match was further proof that using possession efficiently and effectively trumps the sterile domination Spain displayed.