England head coach Thomas Tuchel said his team is ready to beat Spain on Sunday. Spain have gone 43 matches without defeat, Citizen Digital reported. A win would bring little more than a more favourable Nations League quarter-final in March. For England, though, it would be a landmark result.
Tuchel called Spain a team "that has forgotten how to lose". He said England would need a top performance, and that a win would give his players a big boost. "I think we're there, and I think we're ready to win on Sunday," the German said. He called the match the moment to check how far England have come and to push their limits.
England go into the game in form after beating Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday. They lost the reverse fixture against Spain 3-2 at Wembley in September. That game could have gone differently. Harry Kane missed a penalty that would have put England 3-1 up.
Tuchel wants the same mindset England showed at home. He said his side should attack Spain, make it a physical game and impose their strength.
The coach also spoke about racism. England players have faced racist abuse in Spain before. Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips were targeted during a friendly in Madrid in 2004. Spain must also play their next home friendly with a reduced crowd. The sanction punishes fans who sang a discriminatory chant about Muslims during a match against Egypt in March.
"We will never accept racism," Tuchel said. He expects the Spanish crowd to give their team full support. He said the referee and officials know a protocol is in place, and that his players must know it too. "Best answers are on the pitch," he added.