Spain vs. England: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
There's been a lot of big talk ahead of England's visit to Spain this week, but it hasn't been coming from the England players.
Instead, it's Juan Mata who has been hyping up England's chances; not only in their friendly against the reigning European champions, but also at next summer's European championships.
Per Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star, the Spanish midfielder said:
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"England have a great team and a great deal of confidence.
I speak with Wayne Rooney every day and he is very excited with the youth, ambition and capacity to win something the team has.
It is a great test for us because they are a clear rival for the European Championships.
Being the current champions of Europe we are going to try and defend the title. It will be difficult because there are great teams and we are going through a change of generation with our players.
"
Mata's words say much for how this England team has evolved since their horror show at the 2014 World Cup.
Roy Hodgson's side left Brazil having not won a single game and being eliminated in the group stages.
A change of direction since has seen the Three Lions restore some of their reputation.
Hodgson has delivered on his mandate to regenerate the squad with a younger generation of players, with the likes of Ross Barkley and Harry Kane growing in stature.
England haven't lost a game since the World Cup, breezing through their Euro 2016 qualification with flying colours.
They won all 10 of their matches to take maximum points but facing Spain will be an altogether tougher challenge.
England have plenty to shout about, although they will need to work hard to ensure they are not taught a lesson by what is a top-quality Spanish side.
Match Details
Date: Friday, November 13
Time: 7.45 p.m. GMT / 2.45 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Jose Rico Perez, Alicante, Spain
TV Info: ITV1 (UK only)
Live Stream: ITV Player (UK only)
Last 5 Games
| June 14 | Belarus 0-1 Spain |
| Sept. 5 | Spain 2-0 Slovakia |
| Sept. 8 | Macedonia 0-1 Spain |
| Oct. 9 | Spain 4-0 Luxembourg |
| Oct. 12 | Ukraine 0-1 Spain |
| June 14 | Slovenia 2-3 England |
| Sept. 5 | San Marino 0-6 England |
| Sept. 8 | England 2-0 Switzerland |
| Oct. 9 | England 2-0 Estonia |
| Oct. 12 | Lithuania 0-3 England |
Predicted Lineups
Hodgson has already confirmed that Rooney will not start against Spain in Alicante.
"Wayne's with me because he's the captain of our team, he's the most important figure as a result, but he actually won't start the game," explained the England boss, per BBC Sport.
That means either Kane will likely lead the line for England, who will also be without Jamie Vardy after Roy Hodgson confirmed the Leicester striker would be absent at his pre-match press conference. James Milner is also unavilable after he pulled out with a hamstring injury.
Spain are missing Sergio Ramos and Isco through injury.
Spain (4-3-2-1): De Gea; Azpilicueta, Pique, Nacho, Alba; Thiago, Koke, Cazorla; Mata, Nolito; Morata.
England (4-3-3): Hart; Clyne, Cahill, Smalling, Bertrand; Delph, Dier, Barkley; Sterling, Kane, Lallana.
Key Players
Alvaro Morata
Fans of Serie A will know all about Alvaro Morata.
With each passing game, it just begs the question of why Real Madrid allowed the striker to leave the Bernabeu to join Juventus.
The 23-year-old is a potent threat in front of goal, and he will ensure the England centre-backs are given a stern test when they come up against him.
He's battling with Diego Costa for a starting berth, but given the Chelsea striker's form this term, it wouldn't be a shock to see Morata given the nod.
With six caps to his name, the Juventus forward is looking to make a big impact on the international stage.
Harry Kane
After a goal drought at the beginning of the season, Harry Kane's form of late has shown the young English striker is much more than a one-season wonder.
Kane has scored six goals in his last four games for Tottenham Hotspur—his latest coming at the weekend in the north London derby.
He was particularly impressive in that match, dominating the Arsenal defence to earn his team a 1-1 draw.
With Jamie Vardy out of the Spain clash and Wayne Rooney on the bench, Kane will be England's main man on Friday.
Prediction
Spain 1-1 England
Odds
Home Win: 4/5
Away Win: 15/4
Draw: 12/5
First Goalscorer: Alvaro Morata (11/2)
Odds via Oddschecker
