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

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 England’s hopes of topping their qualifying group alive after an immaculate campaign prior to this. However, with the head-to-head record between the top two sides coming into play should they finish level on points, this emphatic win, with talismanic Alexia Putellas scoring two, means Spain just need to beat Iceland on Tuesday to secure top spot at England’s expense. Frankly, they deserve it. Sonia Bermúdez’s team didn’t just beat England, they annihilated them, dominating possession, with over 61% of the ball across the 90 minutes, and ensuring a beleaguered England stayed camped in their half, accruing 39 touches in the opposition box to England’s paltry seven. It was always going to be a big ask to get a win away from home against the Spaniards, but hopes of a 1-0 defeat, to match the reverse fixture, or even a draw, to put England in a favourable position in Group A3 going into the final round of games on Tuesday were shattered in the first half. England weren’t bad, not for the first 15 minutes at least, but there was a sloppiness to their play, a lack of sharpness demonstrative of a match coming almost three weeks after the end of the WSL season. …