England's Pearce unfazed by Spanish aura

Spain's senior side rule the roost in international football after being crowned world and European champions, but England coach Stuart Pearce said Sunday's opening Group B encounter with Luis Milla's Under-21s should hold no fears for his players.

Spanish dominance at the game's very highest levels was further reinforced by FC Barcelona's commanding display in winning the UEFA Champions League last month, but Pearce – a tough-tackling left-back in his career – is characteristically bullish about England's chances of success in front of a sell-out crowd in Herning on Sunday.

"I expect to win the game. Spain surely will expect to win the game too. I think it will be a fantastic advert for Under-21 football, I really do," enthused Pearce, whose team defeated Spain on the way to finishing as runners-up two years ago. "Last time out when we came up against them, we beat them 2-0. Our Under-17s beat them last time they played, and our Under-19s drew with them. So our recent record is not so bad at varying age groups."

Though defender Kieran Gibbs was a late withdrawal from the squad through injury, Connor Wickham, who scored the clinching goal as England beat Spain 2-1 to win the 2010 UEFA European U17 Championship, will be fit after an ankle problem. With a full squad available, Pearce hopes his side's first step in this year's tournament will be more assured than in 2009.

"Some of the same individuals are back again, and we have to learn the lessons of what's gone before," said Pearce, who saw his charges huff and puff to a 2-1 opening victory over Finland in Sweden. "I worked with the squad for two weeks before the tournament and saw the standard of their training, and they didn't achieve that standard in the match. We have to make sure we replicate that this Sunday, because it's going to be a difficult game."

England's task looks all the more arduous given the Spain squad contains two players, Juan Mata and Javi Martínez, who lifted the FIFA World Cup last summer. The pair are likely to take a prominent role as Milla's men begin their bid to join England – who are representing Great Britain – as one of four European teams competing in next year's Olympic football tournament in London.

"I think England are under less pressure than us, because they have already qualified for the Olympics. That's one of our goals," said Milla, whose side will have to make progress from a testing group which also includes the Czech Republic and Ukraine, to have a chance of doing that. "I am convinced the team will play well. People expect a lot of these players and they have the skills to play games as big as this one."

Those qualities will be needed if Spain are to buck the trend of previous encounters with England, whom they have only beaten twice in eight meetings. Milla, however, is convinced his team may require an even greater effort against the Czech Republic next Wednesday. "The Czechs had an exemplary group stage, and for me are overwhelming favourites," he said. "But it is also true that both England and Spain have two very good teams, two very competitive leagues and great players."