Spain v England: Nations League A Matchweek 6 preview at Riyadh Air Metropolitano
Spain and England meet at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid in Matchweek 6 of UEFA Nations League A on Monday, November 16 at 1:15 a.m. IST, with both sides already through to the quarterfinals and Spain top of the group.
Spain have won all five of their group matches and are already qualified for the next round; they beat Czechia 2-0 in their most recent fixture with Álex Baena converting a penalty and Marc Pubill scoring in stoppage time, and a draw will be enough for De la Fuente’s side to finish top of the table. England, who sit on 12 points, lost 3-2 to Spain in the reverse fixture at Wembley despite goals from Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon, but they recovered with a 2-1 win over Croatia in their last match courtesy of Morgan Rogers and Kane. Form lines cited in the preview read Spain: W-W-W-W-W and England: W-W-W-W-L.
Tactical notes in the preview flag Spain’s possession game and the threat posed by Ferran’s runs to the near post, and it highlights Ferran as a player who scored in the last game against Croatia and "has already scored twice with an assist so far in the competition." The article also states that "the man who scored the winning goal for Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Finals is yet to find the back of the net for the national team in the Nations League." It warns that England’s physical defence featuring Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah can be difficult to break down, while Ferran and Ferran Torres are mentioned as potential disruptors of England’s defensive shape.
On England’s side the preview singles out Morgan Rogers as a player who can exploit space behind Spanish fullbacks such as Marc Cucurella, noting Rogers’ physical shielding and presence inside the box as a threat against a Spanish backline described as technically brilliant and relatively younger and led by Dean Huijsen and Pau Cubarsí. The piece frames a win as mandatory for England if they are to overtake Spain in the group, citing England’s "relatively higher goal difference" as the reason a victory would allow them to finish top.
Availability and injury notes list Lamine Yamal with a knee injury and Mikel Oyarzabal as doubtful for Spain, while England will be without Djed Spence, Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa for the next game. The preview references managerial angles by name, noting "De la Fuente’s side" for Spain and mentioning Thomas Tuchel in relation to England’s desire for revenge.
The article publishes the expected starting lineups as follows: Unai Simón (GK); Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella; Martín Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz; Yeremy Pino, Fermín López, Álex Baena; Ferran Torres. England: Jordan Pickford (GK); Lewis Hall, Dan Burn, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers; Harry Kane.
Broadcasters and streaming details in the preview state that viewers in India can watch on Sony Sports Network and stream on SonyLIV, audiences in Greece can find coverage on NOVA Greece and Alpha TV, and viewers in the USA can watch on FOX Sports, FuboTV and ViX; the match is also listed as available to stream on Prime Video in the UK.