England knew they were going to end Spain’s long unbeaten run, according to midfielder Declan Rice.
The world champions had not lost in 43 matches going into the contest in Madrid but they were stunned by Thomas Tuchel’s men, who went three up before holding on for a 3-2 victory after Elliot Anderson was sent off.
Arsenal’s Rice told ITV: “We knew we were going to beat them tonight. The messaging from the manager after the Croatia game was so positive, the message from the boys, everyone pushing together, knowing that we’re going to come here and not just sit back and try and hit them on the counter.
“Our first 10 minutes are probably the best we’ve played in a 10-minute spell — pressure, pressure, pressure — we could have had two or three. The red card changed the course of the game because it could have been a couple more.
“If we don’t go down to 10 I think we see more of the ball, we start to get more space and we see our attacking players thrive. Overall, 10 men for half an hour, winning 3-2 against that team, unbeaten in 43, is a massive thing.”
When Ben White made it 3-0 before the hour mark, victory appeared almost assured, but the contest changed when Anderson was dismissed and Mikel Oyarzabal netted a penalty with 25 minutes remaining.
Nico Williams added a second 10 minutes later to bring back memories of England’s painful semi-final loss to Argentina at the World Cup, but this time they withstood the barrage.
“Argentina that day, it wasn’t meant to be,” added Rice.
“Things swing the other way and for a second when they got the second you might have thought it was going to go the other way with the amount of pressure they were putting but that resilience, that defending, keep looking up at the clock realising there’s not long left, keep emptying the tank, doing anything for this badge, for this team, for our players, the manager.
“It’s a massive win, credit to everyone.”
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Tuchel hailed the character and ability of his players, saying: “Brilliant performance and a well-deserved win.
“Overall we were the better team and we put out a fantastic performance from start to finish. The red card and the penalty is always a big decision. I needed to understand why it’s a double punishment.
“Then it was a long, long 30 minutes but I don’t want to focus on that, there were so, so many positive things and the performance and the result after 60 minutes was well deserved.
“We brought everything to the table, we were brave on the ball, we were patient off the ball, we were hungry in the opponents’ half, patient in our own half, closed the gaps, and we were there.
“Fantastic team performance, spirit wise, energy wise, but also in terms of football quality, that was highest level. I cannot praise the team highly enough for what they put out there.”
Tuchel also praised Leeds keeper James Trafford, whose superb late double save kept England ahead.
“It’s a good double save, it’s exactly what we wanted and I think he had a brilliant match,” added the England boss.
