This game will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. On a beautiful sunny day, in front of 125,000 people in a magnificent stadium, the scene was set for a classic confrontation. Sadly, by the end, it had degenerated into nothing short of a brawl.

Spain had looked forward to this match and the air of expectancy was much in evidence around this lovely city prior to the kick-off. England withstood a passionate opening by the Spaniards. Kubala was instrumental in all the good things his team produced and they forced England back on their heels for long spells. Bert Williams was looking very safe in goal, though, and Billy Wright marshalled his defenders superbly, drawing on all his vast experience.

As the first half progressed, the visitors began to come into things a little more and with Stanley Matthews roaming inside to gain more of the possession some chances were beginning to appear. After 25 minutes, Ramellets saved at Albert Quixall's feet bravely after the Sheffield Wednesday player had been put through by Roy Bentley. Then Nat Lofthouse had the goalkeeper diving at full length to save a screamer before, amazingly, with six minutes of the half remaining England took the lead.

A good move between Dennis Wilshaw, Quixall and Lofthouse set up Bentley. The number eight continued with his impressive goal tally by shooting home a beauty from 20 yards out. Three minutes after the goal came the incident that, more than any other, lowered the tone of the game.

In a breakaway attack, Bentley hit a long pass forward. It dropped in front of Lofthouse, who for once was clear of his marker, Garay. The big centre-forward strode clear and seemed certain to score, but two yards from the edge of the Spanish penalty area Garay dived forward, rugby style, to grab Lofthouse and end the attack in the most callous way possible. From that moment England's dander was up and the second half was 'fought' out in a most uncompromising manner.

The Italian referee struggled to keep control and all the rhythm went from the play as his whistle constantly interrupted the proceedings. For the most part of the second half, England were under heavy pressure as Spain searched for an opening. With 25 minutes left, the impressive debutant Ugartemendia dribbled hard at the England defence. As the ball fell between Sillett and Duncan Edwards, Rial nipped in smartly to finish off the attack to equalise.

Neither side impressed during the remainder of the match and some players seemed more intent on kicking each other rather than the ball.
    

In a bad-tempered match Nat Lofthouse had his shirt ripped off his back in the first-half, and played throughout the second half with a numberless shirt. Even Stanley Matthews was drawn into the roughhouse, and conceded a free-kick with a tackle, the first time anybody could recall him committing a foul. Roy Bentley scored from a Lofthouse pass in the thirty-eighth minute and Spain equalised in the sixty-fifth minute following a mistake by Duncan Edwards that was as rare as a foul by Matthews. The trouble flared after Lofthouse had been rugby tackled to the ground when on a run towards the penalty area. There were so many personal feuds going on after this that the game lost all of its rhythm, and the Italian referee had little or no control. England's players were furious over the foul against Lofthouse, and they could not believe it when the player who had rugby tackled him was allowed to stay on the pitch. Tempers were on a short fuse, and when Stanley Matthews was moved to foul somebody then something had to be seriously wrong. The referee completely lost it, and the wonder is that there were no legs broken. It was one of the roughest and most bad spirited games in which England had played overseas.
   

The second match of the tour was played in Madrid, before a great crowd of 125,000 spectators who filled the magnificent Chamartin Stadium in the hope of seeing a classic exhibition of football.
England scored after 38 minutes, as the result of a really grand goal. Wilshaw, a success in the new position of outside-left, made ground and gave to Quixall; a clever pass to Lofthouse, a flick to Bentley who sent a crashing drive from the edge of the penalty-area which gave Ramallets no chance. Spain equalised half-way through the second half when Rial rushed in to score after Edwards had partially deflected a shot by Mauri which Wright had half stopped. After that all the England side - and especially Williams and Wright - threw themselves gallantly into the fray in a determined resistance to hold Spain to a draw in a game which was marred by the large number of infringements. Territorially Spain were superior in the second half, yet England would have been more dangerous if more of their attacks had reached the Spanish goalmouth.