England fell to defeat for the first time in 16 matches this evening as Spain began their Euro 2016 preparations with a 2-0 victory in Alicante.

The hosts took the lead in spectacular fashion with just under 20 minutes remaining as Mario Gaspar made it two goals in two international appearances with an acrobatic volley from the edge of the area.

Spain then put the game to bed six minutes from time when Joe Hart's poor clearance was punished by Santi Cazorla's composed finish into the bottom corner.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether the European champions deserved their victory.

Match statistics

SPAIN
Shots: 15
On target: 4
Possession: 64%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 6

ENGLAND
Shots: 10
On target: 3
Possession: 36%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

Absolutely. It may have taken Spain a while to find the breakthrough, but the difference in quality between the two teams was there for all to see throughout. England defended well for the most part and limited Spain when it came to clear-cut chances, but there was always the feeling that the hosts' quality would shine through and it eventually did. They thoroughly deserve to come away with the victory, and the two-goal winning margin is about right too.

The opener did not come until the 72nd minute, but it was well worth the wait. Expect plenty of headlines about 'Super Mario' tomorrow morning. Gaspar's effort was a truly sublime strike and a definite early contender for next year's Puskas Award. There wasn't anything England could do about it, and Spain perhaps needed that moment of magic to eventually find a way through. The second goal stemmed from a Hart error, but the finish was another lovely one and ultimately that touch of quality was the difference between the sides tonight.

England actually had more sights of goal than Spain in the first half, and they had plenty after the break too. They could have asked some serious questions of Spain, but their finishing let them down on more than one occasion. They rarely looked like actually scoring, with the closest they came being in stoppage time when Wayne Rooney's miscued volley bounced onto the top of the crossbar. The visitors can have no complaints at coming away from this one empty handed.

Spain's performance

Minus the injured Sergio Ramos, Juanfran and David Silva, and the benched David de Gea, this was arguably Vicente del Bosque's strongest XI tonight. Spain's aura of invincibility has been lost somewhat in the last year or so, with a group-stage exit from the World Cup and six defeats in their last 17 games, but they proved this evening that they are still a force to be reckoned with. No team can match their composure in possession of the ball and, while they did give it away uncharacteristically on more than one occasion, they were just as impressive in winning it back.

They spent the majority of the match with the ball at their feet, patiently looking for a way through that they seemed to always know would eventually arrive. England held firm for a long time, and Del Bosque may be concerned that his side failed to create more clear chances considering how much possession they had, but that would be a minor criticism in an otherwise very encouraging display. Off the ball, they hounded England from the front back and forced the visitors into carelessly giving the ball away on numerous occasions.

The two goals were indicative of the technical ability and sheer class of the players at Spain's disposal, and despite their performance at the World Cup last summer, they can never be discounted when they have such tools at their disposal. They were quite clearly a cut above their opponents tonight, and the performance should give their fans plenty of hope that they can lift an unprecedented third consecutive European Championship title next summer.

England's performance

If anyone in the England set-up had got carried away with their perfect qualifying record, this match should bring them back down to earth. It was rightly billed as a measuring stick to see where England really are as a team following their impressive displays in reaching Euro 2016, and the conclusion is that they are still a long way from challenging. In fairness, Roy Hodgson named a young side and was missing a number of players who, if fit, would surely be in his starting lineup, but there was still a noticeable gap in terms of quality between the two teams tonight.

Throughout qualifying, England were allowed to play out from the back and dominate possession, playing the game at their own tempo. That will not be the case against the top teams and it was not the case tonight. Spain were immediately pressing England's defence when they got the ball, and the visitors simply didn't have the composure to deal with it. They gave the ball away far too often, and on many occasions inside their own half. They would have been expecting Spain to have more possession, but the way La Roja also prevented England from playing their own game seemed to surprise Hodgson's side.

There were positives for England to take from the match. They looked threatening whenever they did click in possession and, with some cleaner striking of the ball, they may well have been able to get a result tonight. Their defence was also solid despite being put in some tricky positions - sometimes by themselves - and they limited Spain's clear-cut chances. There was not much they could have done about either goal. However, there is no getting away from the fact that technically and tactically they are still some way short of the best.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Cesc Fabregas: Despite Spain putting in a good performance, there was no single standout player this evening. However, while Cesc Fabregas has been criticised for his club form this season, he looked like a different player in the red of Spain tonight. His assist set up Mario's stunning effort, while he also created chances for the likes of Diego Costa and Juan Mata with pinpoint passes.

Biggest gaffe

Hart's clearance in the build-up to the second goal was a poor one that put his side under a lot of pressure deep inside their own half. Spain still had plenty to do after winning the ball back, but it all stemmed from that Hart mis-kick.

Referee performance

Paolo Mazzoleni produced just one card tonight - shown to Hart for dissent after the second goal - but the Italian was a little pedantic in a number of his earlier decisions. Still, friendlies are rarely the hardest games to officiate, and this one was no different.

What next?

Spain: Next up for Spain is the number one side in the world as they travel to Belgium on Tuesday evening.

England: England, meanwhile, return to Wembley where they will welcome Euro 2016 hosts France, also on Tuesday.