Ferran Torres endures wasteful Spain showing against England

Spain began their Nations League campaign with a win, but Ferran Torres left the match with his finishing under scrutiny. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was replaced before Mikel Oyarzabal scored the goal that settled the contest, while Alex Baena also made an impact from the bench.

England led before Spain turned the match around to win 3-2. Torres had a goal ruled out for offside after a Fabian Ruiz cross, then failed to convert two further clear opportunities. One chance came from a Lamine Yamal delivery, while Rodri later found him in space on a counter-attack, but Torres sent his shot wide.

His wastefulness stood out because he had scored five times in his previous three matches for Paris Saint-Germain, including three against Slovan Bratislava, one against Brest and one against Marseille. He also entered the international fixture with 25 goals in 66 appearances for Spain.

Luis de la Fuente retained faith in the forward after the match, arguing that a striker who finds repeated openings will also miss some. The coach said he was satisfied with Torres’ overall performance and pointed to Oyarzabal’s decisive contribution. Torres can respond when Spain face Croatia on Tuesday.