Nations League: Raheem Sterling scored a brace as England beat Spain 3-2

Raheem Sterling struck twice as England ran riot with three first-half goals to beat Spain 3-2 in their League A Group 2 Nations League match on Monday.

Sterling hadn’t scored in three years but doubled his international goals tally in 38 minutes, while Marcus Rashford scored his in between as England destroyed Spain’s game plan with three goals – all on the counter.

Away from home and against a Spanish side that had scored 12 times in three games under new manager Luis Enrique, England registered their possibly most enthralling victory ever since the 5-1 thrashing of Germany in 2001.

The 3-2 win was England’s first in Spain in 31 years and it was also the first time Spain lost at home in a competitive game since 2003.

Spain had begun well and looked most likely to score in the opening exchanges, but England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford against the run of play found Harry Kane with a long powerful left-footer. Kane turned and found Rashford, whose quick switch set Sterling free on goal and he blasted the net.

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Thiago Alcantara set Spain’s pace straightaway but his tricks and flicks did little help and instead, England scored again in the 29^th minute. Again Pickford found Kane, with Spain up against the field, and again he did great to keep off Sergio Ramos, then kept Nacho off the loose ball, before setting Rashford to finish.

Spain looked to have lost their touch. Sergio Busquets found England players more than he found his teammates, while the other two La Roja midfielders Saul and Thiago did little to help defensively.

The third came from another of Busquets’s mispass after Marcos Alonso had cleared a corner. The ball fell to Barcelona’s engine player and with so many choices available, he still found Eric Dier, who send it to Ross Barkley. Barkley dinked the ball over and behind the centre-back duo of Ramos and Nacho for Kane, who slid it to Sterling to add England’s third inside the 45 minutes.

Spain had never before conceded thrice at home let alone conceding thrice inside the first-half. Sterling’s last goal for England came 1,102 days ago.

But on the remarkable night, where England fielded its youngest squad in the 21^st century with an average age of 23, they won for the first time away from home against Spain. Their last victory was in 1987 when Gary Lineker scored and it was also the last time England scored against Spain away from home.

Spain won’t go down without a fight and substitute Paco Alcacer led their fight back with an immediate goal in the second half. They were almost gifted another, minutes later when Pickford fouled Rodrigo after giving the ball away leading to a vociferous appeal for a penalty from the Entire stadium. The referee though wasn’t moved.

By the time their next goal came, the match was over and after Ramos plunged his header into the net, there was no time for another restart. England had won.

Their victory opened up Group 2 and from a point where Spain needed one point to qualify, England and Croatia also can now make it through.