The Guardian

Putellas doubles up to lead Spain rout and leave England staring at playoffs

Spain 4-0 England Guijarro 19, Putellas 37 55, Pina 78 Only a minor miracle will save European champions England from having to come through World Cup qualifying playoffs after they suffered an utterly humiliating 4-0 defeat by World Cup holders Spain in Mallorca. A loss by only a one-goal deficit would have been enough to keep their hopes of topping their qualifying group alive after an immaculate campaign prior. However, with the head-to-head record between the top two sides coming into play should they finish level on points, Spain’s emphatic win, with talismanic Alexia Putellas scoring two, Spain just need to beat Iceland on Tuesday to secure top spot at England’s expense. Continue reading...