BARCELONA, Spain -- Clàudia Pina laid down a marker for herself and for Spain ahead of July's European Championship as she came off the bench to take down England with a quick-fire double, sealing a 2-1 victory and booking La Roja's place in the final four of the UEFA Women's Nations League later this year.
England led at the break through Alessia Russo, but they couldn't cope with Spain as Montse Tomé's side clicked through the gears in the second half.
It was the 58th-minute introduction of Pina that ultimately swung the game at the RCDE Stadium. The 23-year-old equalized within two minutes of coming on, then scored a brilliant second, firing past the helpless Hannah Hampton from 20 yards.
"In the second half, they started really quick," England coach Sarina Wiegman said. "They did something different in pressing a bit higher, and we struggled a bit to get out of the press and keep the ball. Of course then they brought Pina in and she was very secure with her shots."
The victory sealed Spain's place at the top of League A Group 3 with 15 points, five more than second-placed England, and means they will have the chance to defend the trophy in October when the final four takes place. Germany, France and Sweden will complete the semifinal lineup.
The Nations League almost felt like an afterthought here, though. This was a meeting between the current world champions in Spain and the European champions in England. It was also a chance to flex muscles ahead of the Euros in Switzerland, where both teams will rank among the favorites.
For large parts of the first half, it looked like Spain would once again disappoint against top-level opposition. They fell short at the Paris Olympics last year and failed to score when losing 1-0 to England in the reverse fixture in February. Teams exploited space behind Spain's backline in those games, while La Roja struggled to create good chances -- and when they did, they lacked a clinical edge.
That is not something Pina can ever be accused of. The Barcelona forward is among the best finishers in the game, and she showed that once again against England. Her impact was instant, a tidy left-footed finish finding the bottom corner before a thumping effort dipped and swerved past Hampton and inside the post 10 minutes later. She should have had an assist, too, after taking down a raking Irene Paredes pass brilliantly and setting up Aitana Bonmatí, who could only shoot over.
Pina has represented something of a conundrum for club and country. The top scorer in the Champions League this season with ten goals in nine outings is not assured of a place in the starting XI for either. Barça coach Pere Romeu did hand her a start in the recent Champions League final defeat to Arsenal, but he had taken her off by the time the Gunners took a surprise lead. What he would have given to have a finisher like her on the pitch as the game drifted away from the Blaugrana in Lisbon. Tomé took the opposite approach against England, utilizing Pina when she was in desperate need of a goal, and reaped the results.
What will Pina do at the Euros? She is everything Spain have been missing when they have lost over the last year: clinical if you give her half a chance. She is in much better nick than the misfiring Salma Paralluelo and Esther González, who is yet to completely recreate her Gotham FC form for Spain, and has now laid down a firm marker for a starting berth at the Euros. Her goals, just in case there was any doubt, also reasserted Spain's case to be considered the team to beat when the tournament kicks off.
"I'll do whatever is needed from me," Pina told reporters. "For my club I always try to give my best however long I play. I am always ready and able to help.
"I can't even remember the first goal. I received the ball [for the second] and I didn't even think about it. I hit it with my soul."
England, meanwhile, have work to do if they are to retain the trophy they won at Wembley three years ago. Wiegman's side did OK in the first half, although they rode their luck at times. Hampton's stunning save on González inside three minutes backed up Wiegman's decision to go with the Chelsea goalkeeper as her No.1 over Mary Earps, which ultimately led to the latter's unexpected retirement from international football last week. Other than that, Spain were largely restricted to long-range efforts, and when Russo was released by Keira Walsh in the 22nd minute, there was never any doubt the Arsenal striker would beat Cata Coll.
That will be the frustration for the Lionesses. There was space behind Barça's backline, and at times, it looked like Russo and Lauren Hemp especially could have some joy. That never materialized, though. England survived until halftime, with the referee turning down a penalty shout when the ball hit Niamh Charles in the hand, but they could not get through the next 45 minutes unscathed.
"I would not say [I am] concerned," Wiegman added. "This is a learning moment. They did something different so you want to exploit the space that they leave in behind, but first you have to keep the ball. That is not easy. It is something to take with us moving forward."