Yamal revisits Wembley goal in Spain’s Nations League showdown with England

Lamine Yamal has turned up the tension ahead of Spain’s decisive UEFA Nations League meeting with England by posting a video recalling his goal in the teams’ earlier match.

The Barcelona and Spain forward shared the footage on his official Instagram account on Sunday, just two hours before the Group A fixture was due to begin. The post showed his celebration after scoring against England at Wembley and carried a clear message of defiance before the teams met again.

Spain won that opening encounter 3-2 at Wembley in the first round of the competition, giving them the advantage at the top of the group.

Yamal has regularly used social media to send messages before major matches for both Barcelona and Spain. His posts have attracted considerable attention from supporters and followers, and this latest video appears intended to recreate the atmosphere of his previous standout performance against England.

The game also offers the young forward another opportunity to demonstrate his ability on a major stage after a period in which his form has dipped compared with the level he had previously been producing.

Spain go into the sixth round unbeaten and with 15 points. England have 12 points and must win to move above the holders of the World Cup and European title and secure home advantage in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. A draw would be enough for Spain to retain top spot.

Spain began the campaign with their 3-2 victory at Wembley, before beating Croatia 4-1 and Czech Republic 3-1. They then defeated Croatia again, this time by a 2-1 scoreline, securing their place in the quarter-finals early. Luis de la Fuente’s side followed that result with a 2-0 win over Czech Republic on Thursday.

England’s campaign started with the defeat by Spain, but Thomas Tuchel’s side responded with four successive victories. They beat Czech Republic 2-0, swept aside Croatia 7-0, defeated Czech Republic again by a 3-0 scoreline and ended their group matches with a 2-1 victory over Croatia.

That run has left England with 12 points from five matches and ensured their qualification for the quarter-finals. However, only victory in the final group game will take them past Spain and give them the benefit of playing the last-eight tie in front of their home supporters.