UEFA Nations League: Spain 2-3 England - 5 takeaways from the game

#1 Thiago Alcantara is arguably the most underrated midfielder in the world

Alcantara pulled the strings in midfield for Spain

A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Thiago Alcantara was the only player Pep Guardiola took with him when he swapped Barcelona for Bayern Munich, and one which the Catalan would also have taken to the Etihad but for a clause which expressly forbade Pep from poaching Bayern’s players.

Pep Guardiola is one of the most astute tacticians in the history of football, a dedicated student to the finer details of the game, so it says a lot about Alcantara’s abilities that Pep rates him so highly.

However, outside of his teammates and coaches, the 27-year-old doesn’t get the praise and recognition he deserves.

When it comes to pure talented displays in the middle of the field, very few come close to the Bayern man, as he possesses a technique that could rival that of the great Iniesta. Thiago's penchant for close ball control and dictating the play and tempo of a game from midfield is second to none.

Against England, at the fulcrum of their set-up was Thiago, pulling the strings from midfield and bamboozling countless English midfielders. Harry Winks received the full brunt of his trickery with an unbelievable shimmy which sent the Tottenham man back to Wembley.

More often than not, technical and graceful midfielders rarely get the accolades their immense talents deserve, as they are overshadowed by the more flamboyant and domineering goalscoring midfielders and strikers. But for true aesthetic football purists, they would always be highly regarded, and just like Guardiola, we hold Thiago Alcantara in the highest esteem.