Spain 3-1 Czechia: Yamal stars as world champions stay perfect

Lamine Yamal produced another moment of pure brilliance to set world champions Spain on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Oviedo, extending La Roja’s remarkable unbeaten run to 41 matches and maintaining their perfect start in the Nations League.

The 19-year-old needed just six minutes to open the scoring at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere. Collecting the ball on the right edge of the area after a neat one-two with Dani Olmo, Yamal created a yard of space and curled an unstoppable left-footed effort into the far top corner, leaving debutant goalkeeper Antonín Kinský rooted. It was the third consecutive international match in which the Barcelona star had netted Spain’s opening goal inside the first six minutes, further enhancing his growing Ballon d’Or credentials.

Spain, already in control, doubled their lead shortly after the half-hour mark. Pedri’s intended pass for Roberto Fernández was blocked on the edge of the box, but captain Rodri reacted sharpest to the loose ball and lashed a fierce right-footed strike into the roof of the net for his first Spain goal since Euro 2024.

Luis de la Fuente’s side looked comfortable at the interval, yet the second half proved far more testing. Yamal and Álex Baena were withdrawn at the break, with Víctor Muñoz and Yéremy Pino introduced, and Spain’s intensity dropped. The Czechs, pointless and bottom of Group A3 under Spanish coach Santi Denia, grew in belief and pulled a goal back in the 69th minute. Adam Hložek broke down the left and slipped the ball into the path of overlapping full-back Jiří Sláma, who drilled a crisp angled drive beyond David Raya into the far corner.

Suddenly the contest was alive. Czechia thought they had equalised when Ryan Naderi turned the ball home, only for Greek referee Vasilis Fotias to rule it out for a foul on Robin Le Normand. Frustration boiled over and defender Ladislav Krejčí was shown a second yellow card in the 85th minute, reducing the visitors to ten men.

Spain made the extra man count. In the 89th minute Muñoz’s close-range effort was parried by Kinský, but substitute Mikel Merino pounced on the rebound and swept the ball into the bottom corner to restore the two-goal cushion and seal the points.

The result leaves Spain top of the group with a maximum nine points from three games, three points clear of England, while the Czech Republic remain winless and rooted to the bottom. For Yamal and Rodri it was another statement performance; for Spain it was a hard-earned, if occasionally uncomfortable, step towards the Nations League quarter-finals.