Lionesses have no reason to panic despite the humiliation in Spain | Suzanne Wrack

It was a tough night for Sarina Wiegman and her charges at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix. England’s biggest loss since a 6-2 defeat by Germany in the Euro 2009 final and their first loss in a qualifier since 2002 shattered their ambition of securing top spot in their 2027 World Cup group and automatic qualification for the finals in Brazil. The 4-0 scoreline was bruising, but the performance against Spain even more so and there was no sugar-coating by Wiegman. Her England side “didn’t play good enough”, “couldn’t get into another gear” and “hardly got into the 18 yard box”. There is a sliver of hope for the Lionesses. The world champions travel to Reykjavik to play Iceland in conditions that suit the home team, as England found to their cost in April . Unlikely as it seems, but any dropped points by Spain and a win at home against Ukraine would flip the script. The more likely outcome on Tuesday is a win apiece, leaving England tied on 15 points but with Spain topping the group due to their superior goals scored in the head-to-head games between the sides. In that sense, it feels harsh that England will face the playoffs after such a strong qualifying campaign, but had the roles been reversed, then Spain would feel equally hard done by. …