Spain vs England match report: Roy Hodgson's side given reality check by reigning European Champions

Spain 2 England 0

Santi Cazorla celebrates scoring Spain's second goal of the night (Getty Images)

It will punish England even more that the evening’s deciding and defining moment of sublimity came from Spain’s right-back. The goal confirmed in both its creation and execution – the pass which Cesc Fabregas deftly measured out and the volley Mario Gaspar pirouetted to execute, a la David Platt v Belgium in 1990, when Paul Gascoigne played the creator – that there is a universe of difference between these nations.

But right-backs mean something very different to Spain, which is why they convert wingers to fulfil the role and why Gaspar was up there, on the edge of the area, back to goal, to receive and finish. And just to make last night’s lesson even harder to take, the 24-year-old Villarreal player will probably not even be in Vicente del Bosque’s squad for France. Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) and Juanfran (Atletico) are first choice. And then there is the clamour for Sergi Roberto, converted from a midfielder by Barcelona, Aleix Vidal and Cesar Azpilicueta.

All that can be said for England is that the finish belonged to the realm of talent that cannot be prepared for, even though Chris Smalling did allow him the yard or two to find the execution. But by the end of it all, when Santi Cazorla scored again, the night’s prime beneficiary had been Wayne Rooney, who appeared as a late substitute. The notion of England’s galaxy of talents forcing him out did not seem such a realistic notion.

Mario Gaspar celebrates his stunning opening goal (Getty Images)

It is a strange time to be at Spanish football’s international frontier. An indifference to the national team sends them to such obscurity as this – hoping to fill a third tier club side’s 29,500 capacity stadium on the Costa Blanca rather than rattle around a half-empty Bernabeu. Mexican waves before kick-off contributed to an air of indifference. Speak to anyone you can find this week here and they’ve spoken of a Spain transicion.

But though Roy Hodgson’s exuberant discussion of having enough strikers knocking his door down to give him dilemmas for a change, the frankest assessment of the side came from commentator Michael Robinson – more Spaniard than Briton now – whose assessment in last night’s match programme was simply that superiority rested comfortably with Spain. Un par de peldanos por encima del ingles – a few steps above the English, as he put it. “I’ve got nothing against Hodgson but I’m not sure he’ll bring England success,” he went on to say.

The first half bore out these observations. England’s hope had been to make some headway with a counter-attacking gamed drawing on Ross Barkley’s pace, but any notion of rapier movements with a ball breaking the lines after turnover of possession dissolved into some desperately inferior. They conceded possession easily and recklessly a half-dozen times in their own third. Fabian Delph, Barkley and Ryan Bertrand were all offenders and the Spaniards gratefully accepted the gifts. Hodgson would also have envisaged Michael Carrick’s architecture being a part of the picture but he was an invisible presence in plain view.

There was no favour returned. When England did venture a little further, the Spanish simply went after them in packs. The outcome was a vision of what a mountain Hodgson has to climb if his players are to stand anywhere near Spain next summer. A match-up of a side of supreme technical capability, with Andres Iniesta its epitome, shifting possession with vision and one-touch play, against a side struggling to locate just a solitary piece of magic.

England midfielder Ross Barkley (Getty Images)

From Barkley, with Sergio Busquets for company, there were a couple of turns to speak of, though the one which set him free to drive into the Spanish box brought a poor shot which drifted comfortably wide. It was pale imitation of what we would have expected in that moment within our shores. Only on the England left was there pace to threaten and it was in the several link-ups between Sterling – whose performance was a consolation for what transpired alongside him – and Ryan Bertrand that an occasional threat materialised. Twice, Bertrand crossed low and dangerously but Harry Kane had not advanced far enough to meet the first ball and Adam Lallana was beaten to the punch by Jordi Alba when the second went in.

England’s only found succour in the struggle of Diego Costa to make any more of an imprint than he has been doing in west London. Phil Jones pounced on him after Sterling’s untidy play had surrendered more cheap possession and an arced shot sailed wide. An aimless header by Kyle Walker gave Spain their best opportunity, allowing Iniesta to loft a 20-yard pass which Paco Alcacaer fired wide.

A rare Spanish error in possession by Jordi Alba handed Delph England’s own best opportunity, though he, like Barkley, lacked conviction. Iker Casillas dropped to block the ball with his knees

There seemed to be consolation for England when Nolito appeared in place of Iniesta when play resumed though he was nutmegging Walker within 15 minutes to send over a cross which Joe Hart leapt to palm away. Then his backheel opened an angle for Jordi Alba’s shot which Hart palmed away.

Lallana, who had provided occasional inflections but was operating largely in blind alleys, made way for Delli Alli. Delph, who was poor and made no imprint on the match, was removed at the same time for Eric Dier to make his debut. The first goal came soon after, on 72 minutes, and Spain would have doubled the advantage immediately if Hart had not moved rapidly from his goal to thwart substitute Juan Mata, who was running through.

Spain were not finished though. Substitute Cazlorla’s sharp finish inside the box delivered the scoreline which fitted the home nation’s superiority. There was a ruck between Walker and the Spaniards Pedro and Nolito just before the end, as England’s disappointment showed. In this as in all else they were outnumbered.