Image source, Getty ImagesA positive performance from England but one littered with errors that have proved costly.
Still, their toughest Nations League match of this international break is over with and they will look to Tuesday and the Czech Republic to get three points on the board.
We'll see you then.
Next up for England in this international break it's a trip to the Czech Republic on 29 September (19:45 BST).
Thomas Tuchel's side will then travel to Rijeka to face Croatia on 3 October (19:45 BST).
England's final fixture of this international break will be played at Wembley as they host the Czech Republic on 6 October (19:45 BST).
The Three Lions will then play their final two group games against Croatia and Spain on 12 and 15 November.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Alex Howell
BBC Sport England reporter at Wembley Stadium
Myles Lewis-Skelly: A first England start in centre midfield for Lewis-Skelly after shining for Arsenal. Given the tough task of trying to shut off the supply to Spain's conductor, Rodri. A solid performance. Replaced after 70 minutes. 6
Jude Bellingham: The Real Madrid midfielder produced another dominant display and was unlucky to be on the losing side. He provided an assist for England's equaliser and won a penalty which Kane hit against the bar after slipping. Stung Simon's palms with a drive in stoppage time. 8
Bukayo Saka: Won a couple of free-kicks around the box and shot over from the edge of the area in the first half. Curled just wide with the score level but a quiet night for the winger. 6
Anthony Gordon: The Barcelona winger scored an excellent goal on the counter-attack. He kept calm when played through on goal by Bellingham when his pace put him clear. A dangerous cross in the first half after England went behind and a threat in behind all night. 8
Harry Kane: Started dropping deep in the first half in search of the ball after England went behind. Scored the second with a deflected header to put England in the lead but missed a penalty when they had the chance to add a third in the second half. 7
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Alex Howell
BBC Sport England reporter at Wembley Stadium
James Trafford: Showed early on his ability to play with the ball at his feet but conceded after just two minutes when Guehi gifted the ball to Lamine Yamal. An important save stopped Torres making it 2-0 in the first half. 6
Jarell Quansah: Continued at right-back after showing what he could do in the position at the World Cup. A physically dominant performance and had a chance to score but headed over. 6
Ezri Konsa: Some shaky moments for Konsa and England's back four but the centre-back regrouped and got better as the game went on. 6
Marc Guehi: An uncharacteristic error gifted the ball - and the opening goal - to Lamine Yamal. 5
Nico O'Reilly: Put in the cross for Kane's goal as England took the lead in the first half. Did a good job of trying to deal with Lamine Yamal. However he gave the ball away for Spain's second goal. 6
Elliot Anderson: Nearly punished for giving the ball away in a dangerous position in the first half but Ferran Torres rolled his shot wide. Anderson and midfield partner Lewis-Skelly took some time to settle in what was a tough night in the middle of the pitch against a Spain side who moved the ball so well. 6
FT: England 2-3 Spain
You lot voted Anthony Gordon as your player of the match with 7.56.
Here's how our England reporter Alex Howell rated them...
Click on 'Get involved' at the top of this page
A shocking set of substitutions made by Thomas Tuchel once again!
Mark, Smethwick
Seems like in game management is the riddle England can’t solve. And it’s been the question for a generation now.
Tommy, Mexico City
FT: England 2-3 Spain
England
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to ITV Sport: "Terrible start, the worst start possible.
"It makes it so, so difficult to be behind against this type of team. After 10-12 minutes, I think we were the better team. We dominated in the opponent's half.
"We created and scored two goals, our best 15 minutes after the whistle. We couldn't convert the penalty - I think then maybe Spain would have believed that their long run of unbeaten games ends here.
"Another big, big mistake for 2-2. The third goal, was the only goal they really scored. Just is what it is. We have to keep going and learn from it. Take what is positive and take the points back to the Czech Republic."
On Anthony Gordon's goal being what England should embody: "No, the Anthony Gordon goal was a counter-attack.
"The top transition goal we scored, we scored amazing goals and could have created more if we were a bit more clinical in the last 20 metres.
"We had an incredible amount of ball wins. We couldn't convert enough into chances and goals, otherwise we would have won the match."
On Gordon's performance: "Good performance. With ups and downs. Like the team, it is a team sport."
On the result: "Always, but there will always be moments when you suffer like this. It matters that you take your chances. Spells of the game were very good, but the result doesn't prove it today."
FT: England 2-3 Spain
England have conceded 3+ goals in consecutive matches for the first time since June 1995 (3-3 v Sweden, 1-3 v Brazil).
England have conceded 13 goals in their last six matches in all competitions, almost double the amount they’d shipped in their first 17 under Thomas Tuchel (7).
England lost a match they led at half-time for the first time since June 2019 (vs Netherlands in Nations League). They’d won 41 of their previous 42 when ahead at the break since then (D1).
FT: England 2-3 Spain
James Trafford will be disappointed to have ended on the losing side. He made a good account of himself with a few good saves.
Interesting that Thomas Tuchel plans on giving him another game then giving Jordan Pickford the other two. It's a valid test it's just interesting that Trafford was given the game against the world champions.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: England 2-3 Spain
England
England defender Jarell Quansah speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "For the neutral it was a good game. We fought in adversity coming from 1-0 down. We managed to really step on the throat and give it a good go after half-time. On another day we go 3-1 up and we kill the game but unfortunately we couldn't."
On whether he would be playing at right-back: "It's hard to say because we are put in those positions and you are always competing against the best in the world, in my opinion, so it's always tough and you're always fighting so you've always got to be ready for any occasions. It's something different for me, I've never played there even when I was younger. I'm learning on the job and it is definitely different but I feel like I can offer a lot in different ways."
On Spain: "They are the world champions, the best team in the world and we went toe-to-toe with them. Hopefully we can draw on the positives and next time we play them we can turn it into a positive result."
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Roy Keane
Former Republic of Ireland captain on ITV
Image source, Getty ImagesAnthony Gordon is certainly full of confidence.
He is maturing, and his confidence must be sky-high. He was excellent tonight.
What defines you as a top player, is your end product.
The talent is all there, but he has to become a main man as a player.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
England
England forward Anthony Gordon speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Good game, one I thought we were in control of. The penalty is a massive moment. If that goes in we are in a much better position than when it doesn't but obviously H [Harry Kane] slips and there is nothing you can do about a moment like that. I think all of their goals came from us really and at that level you can't afford to do that. It was a bit of a rollercoaster in the match. It must have been a great game to watch for the fans, it was a great game to play in.
"They're the best in the world for a reason. When it went to 3-2 you see their ability to really control possession. I think against someone like that you have really got to go for the throat which we did. The penalty was a massive momentum shift. We just lost to the best in the world. The gap is not big in my mind and I think tonight proved that. We just need to not make mistakes at the highest level.
On being substituted: "I'm always disappointed when I come off only just because I want to score more goals and be part of every part of the game. I want to get more assists and excite people who are watching me. Tonight I felt like it was maybe the right decision because I felt a bit tired. I'd done a lot of long distance running at high speed so tonight I have no complaints with the manager taking me off."
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England lacked technique and discipline when it matters. The squad needs tweak still.
Sina, Sutton Coldfield
FT: England 2-3 Spain
England
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland forward Harry Kane to ITV Sport: "I spoke before that we reached good levels at the World Cup but didn't quite put a full 90 minutes together. Probably similar again today. We had a couple of good moments though, that period was as good as we've played in a long, long time and that's the standard we know we can reach.
"We're playing against the world champions, the European champions, and we went toe-to-toe. On another day for sure we'd have won that game. We have to take the positives from it. We have to dust ourselves down and go again in a few days."
Was news about Manchester City's charges a distraction?: "There was a discussion, but at the end of the day when we're with England, that's been a big plus for us, we kind of put club football to one side and it was no different this week."
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Maybe I'm being harsh with my comment from earlier [88 mins].
Maybe 'in glimpses' was harsh but it does feel like England tailed off massively after a front-footed start to the second half. Particularly after the penalty miss, the Three Lions didn't create too much and the subs didn't really have the desired effect. And undeniably several big individual errors in there.
But of course, Spain are the world champions for a reason.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live at Wembley
Image source, Getty ImagesI want to see more of the boring stuff, not the high octane stuff.
Rodri conducts the midfield but he gave the ball away uncharacteristically at the start of the second half and England nearly scored.
Spain are just a little rung up in terms of organisation and ability and then the subs were massive, they really impacted the game.
Spain's subs just kicked on and elevated that game for a 10-15 minute period.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Roy Keane
Former Republic of Ireland captain on ITV
I think there is a gap [between Spain and England]. They're the world champions and European champions...
Mikel Oyarzabal was never going to miss. He was always in control of the situation.
Honestly, people talk about sexy football, that is sexy football. I would watch that all night.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
England
Image source, Getty ImagesEngland forward Anthony Gordon to ITV Sport: "I think it was a bit of a missed chance. I thought it was a great game to watch and to play in, some of the attacking play was at the highest level. But I think in a game like that mistakes cost you. You always feel like it's you're giving it away rather than them winning it. But of course you could argue both teams because they were as good as us and we were as good as them. I'm just gutted about the mistakes."
If Kane's penalty went in would England have won?: "I think so, I think it puts us in a great position to go and get more. We were hungry for more. We came out for the throat, for the kill, and we did that. Penalties happen. He never really misses so we'll let him off with that one."
Was his goal the epitome of how England should play: "Kind of if you want to phrase it that way in terms of what I said in the week about being direct and playing to an English style, being quick, really putting teams on the back foot. It kind of summed up what I said which was quite nice, but ultimately it didn't lead to a victory.
"Like I said a couple of days ago, I don't think there is a gap [to Spain] I feel like we're right there. We can win that game so easily. If the penalty goes in we can go on and win the game. In hindsight it's always easy to say that. But I felt good in the game. I don't think there is a gap and I think if we played them in the final I would've felt confident. Being confident doesn't always translate into a win, but I think you've seen here tonight that we're a top team."
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Anthony Gordon says he doesn't think there is a gap between England and Spain.
Full quotes to come.
FT: England 2-3 Spain
Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live at Wembley
There's two sides to that England performance.
There is the side who were susceptible defensively but saying that two of Spain's goals came from England errors that could have been avoided.
Thomas Tuchel will take a lot of heart from the way that England got themselves back into it.
Tuchel will take from this that his team has got heart and fight. But once again we are talking about a 90 minute performance.
They were good and probably the better team for large spells of that game but not over the whole game.
Jude Bellingham was brought down in the penalty area in the second half, but Harry Kane missed the resultant spot-kick
England's Nations League campaign got off to a losing start as they were beaten by World Cup holders Spain in an enthralling encounter at Wembley.
Spain struck inside two minutes when Lamine Yamal was the beneficiary of Marc Guehi's error and slotted past James Trafford.
England then managed to survive several close calls before Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored in quick succession to give them an unlikely lead before half-time.
However, Kane crucially missed a penalty early in the second half - after Jude Bellingham was brought down in the box - which left the door open for the visitors.
Substitute Alex Baena took advantage of Nico O'Reilly's mistake to equalise before Mikel Oyarzabal concluded a clinical move with a beautifully dinked finish for the winner.
Victory extends Spain's unbeaten run to 39 games, but England must learn lessons from this defeat.
Thomas Tuchel's side need to adopt a more aggressive approach and cut out individual errors, which are always going to be punished against a side of Spain's quality.
The world champions went ahead early on, the result of a blunder by Guehi, who inexplicably turned into trouble - and to make matters worse straight into Lamine Yamal - who beat Trafford, deputising for Jordan Pickford, with ease.
Who made an uncharacteristic error? England player ratings v Spain
England were living on the edge and Spain could have been out of sight as Ferran Torres saw a goal ruled out for offside, forced a fine save from Trafford, then rolled a finish wide when clean through.
When England finally adopted a more direct approach, it reaped rewards as they turned the game on its head to lead before the break.
The excellent Gordon raced clear to beat Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon with a cool finish after 36 minutes before Kane added England's second four minutes later as his header was deflected in off Marc Cucurella.
England suddenly had Spain in retreat, but wasted a huge opportunity to extend their advantage after 55 minutes when a penalty was awarded for Rodri's foul on Bellingham after a Video Assistant Referee intervention.
Kane, normally so reliable, slipped as he went to take his kick, actually touching the ball twice before hitting the bar.
Once again, it was an error that undermined England as Spain equalised on the hour. O'Reilly was the culprit on this occasion, losing possession before substitute Baena beat Trafford low down from the edge of the area.
Spain had regained their composure and also regained the lead with 16 minutes left, a slick move finished by Oyarzabal - who scored the winner against England in the Euro 2024 final - lifting a delicate finish over Trafford.
England suffered from making the kind of basic mistakes that always carry the danger of being punished at international level - especially when the opposition are the best team in world football.
Guehi's gift to Lamine Yamal set England back almost instantly, and it was only Spain's wastefulness in front of goal that prevented the game being over as a contest before the break.
England showed determination and a more positive approach to go in front, but were again the architects of their own downfall to sabotage their chances of victory - Kane uncharacteristically missed from the spot and O'Reilly squandered possession before Baena's equaliser.
Spain then took control of the game and even a late rally was not enough to earn England a point.
Gordon's goal against Argentina in the summer had England dreaming of their first men's World Cup final since 1966 - before Tuchel's side slumped to an agonising defeat.
And the winger, now at Barcelona, was the stand-out performer for the Three Lions again on Saturday with an electric display.
His finish for the equaliser was high quality - exchanging passes with Bellingham then coolly sliding a finish past Simon having never looked likely to miss.
Bellingham was also excellent while keeper Trafford, given his opportunity for two games before first-choice Pickford returns, did his cause no harm with a fine first-half save from Torres.
Trafford had no chance with any of Spain's goals. and will have created a good impression on Tuchel as he seeks to increase competition for Pickford.
The Three Lions next travel to face the Czech Republic on Tuesday (19:45 BST) while Spain host Croatia at the same time.
England embrace the chaos - but control also needed to win big prizes
Tuchel rues 'big mistakes' - did Man City charges have impact?
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
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4 Israel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
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| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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3 Belarus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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4 San Marino | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Armenia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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2 Montenegro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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3 Cyprus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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4 Latvia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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2 Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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3 Faroe Islands | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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4 Moldova | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Luxembourg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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2 Estonia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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4 Bulgaria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Malta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
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2 Gibraltar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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3 Andorra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
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| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Lithuania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
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2 Azerbaijan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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3 Liechtenstein | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
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Manager: Thomas Tuchel
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Luis de la Fuente
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
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