Flight of fancy vs fight of infancy: Richard Buxton
W-Cup s-finalists England have as much to prove as abrasive Enrique's new Spain
England continue to bask in the warm afterglow from their summer of love.
Gareth Southgate may not have steered his country to glory at the World Cup, but they have captured the imagination by riding on a wave of euphoria, characterised by inflatable unicorns, beer-throwing and waistcoats.
| ENGLAND | SPAIN |
Their progress to the semi-finals in Russia, which equalled Gary Lineker and Co's run at the 1990 campaign, commanded a new-found level of respect among their peers on the international stage.
Southgate's players endeared themselves to football's consciousness by playing an attractive style with a crop of burgeoning potential rather than persisting with a band of over-the-hill cloggers of previous years, spearheaded by the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere.
Back home, optimism soared as the mantra of "it's coming home" spiralled from a bout of light-hearted optimism into a rallying cry of belief with every game which followed.
Now the Three Lions have to prove that it was more than a mere flight of fancy.
Wembley will be hoping to reminisce when Spain step out for the Uefa Nations League opener on Sunday morning (Singapore time), but rehabilitation is urgently required instead.
The manner of England's semi-final defeat by Croatia has left an indelible mental scar.
Harry Maguire, in particular, admitted that he cannot bring himself to relive the extra-time ordeal.
Barely two months on, the Leicester City defender is unlikely to be among a minority.
For some, standing just 22 minutes from a place in the World Cup final may be as good as it gets.
It was true for the last genuinely golden generations that bowed out at the same stage in Italy almost three decades ago and, to a lesser extent, in the last four of Euro 1996.
Southgate, however, is reportedly planning to force his squad to relive their exit inside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium in attempts to break through the psychological barrier.
Next month's rematch against Croatia in a behind-closed-doors encounter makes it imperative.
Maintaining the spirit of Repino, which has already eclipsed the infamy of previous World Cup bases Baden-Baden and Rustenberg, also remains key with 18 of England's 23-man squad recalled for this latest double-header, prior to Raheem Sterling's withdrawal through injury.
Those aiming to make up for missing out on the Russian adventure, including Liverpool's Joe Gomez and Burnley defender James Tarkowski, could not have asked for easier opponents.
As England spent the summer in a state of relative bliss, Spain waded through chaos as Julen Lopetegui jeopardised the country's best chance of renewed World Cup success, as well as his own as head coach, to become the latest pawn in Real Madrid's endless soap opera.
La Furia Roja's response saw them draft in a polar opposite as his permanent successor.
Luis Enrique remains as abrasive and contemptuous as Lopetegui proved affable. He remains the third-most successful manager in Barcelona's history but, crucially, their least popular.
Two of his former Nou Camp lieutenants have called already time on their international careers.
Although Andres Iniesta's retirement was inevitable, at 34, Gerard Pique's announcement just four weeks after Enrique's appointment is the more telling.
Enrique failed to cultivate meaningful relationships within the Catalans' dressing room and has wasted little time in reigniting those feuds as Jordi Alba found himself omitted from the two-time European champions' current squad due to the pair's past differences.
As a keen cyclist, Enrique often appears more comfortable riding in a peloton than operating in a football environment and Spain's transition into a new-look set-up represents England's best chance to boost a summer legacy which was cut short at the Luzhniki.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now