Yamal bags another stunner as Spain stays perfect
Spain maintained its 100 per cent record in the 2026-2027 UEFA Nations League with a hard-earned 3-1 victory over Czechia, which had captain Ladislav Krejci sent off late on.
After England's 7-0 humilation of Croatia elsewhere in Group A3, the world champion did not have things anywhere near as easy in Oviedo, after Luis de la Fuente made nine changes to his starting line-up.
After first-half goals from Lamine Yamal and Rodri, Jiri Slama's strike got the visitors – managed by Spaniard Santi Denia – back into the contest, only for Krejci's 85th-minute dismissal and a poacher's finish from Mikel Merino to kill their hopes of a fightback.
Yamal only needed six minutes to have an impact, as he exchanged passes with Dani Olmo, got the ball out of his feet near the right corner of the area, then curled a sumptuous effort past Antonin Kinsky.
Despite Spain dominating possession, it did not create another major chance until just beyond the half-hour mark, when Kinsky showed great reactions to deny Olmo.
But the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper was beaten again in the 35th minute, with Rodri feeding his fellow Barcelona midfielder Olmo, continuing his run into the area, then finishing calmly when the ball deflected into his path.
Alex Baena also worked Kinsky late in the first half, but De la Fuente's withdrawal of Yamal at the interval removed some of Spain's attacking impetus, and Czechia got back into the game when Slama was slipped in by Adam Hlozek and finished unerringly across David Raya.
Czechia thought it had an unlikely equaliser in the 79th minute, as Raya spilled Krejci's looping header and Ryan Naderi prodded over the line, but Lukas Cerv was penalised for holding Robin Le Normand when the initial cross came into the area.
Krejci was booked for dissent after that incident, having screamed in the face of referee Vassilios Fotias, and that moment proved costly as the Wolverhampton Wanderers defender then dragged Roberto Fernandez back to stop a counter-attack and was shown a second yellow card.
Victor Munoz went agonisingly close to making it 3-1, but Spain's clincher did arrive in the 89th minute, with the Liverpool winger involved. He kept the attack alive after Stepan Chaloupek's terrible tackle on Fernandez, and when Kinsky parried his shot, Merino was waiting to fire into the empty net.
Ultimately, it was Spain's Barcelona stars that did the damage as they extended the national side's record unbeaten run to 41 games and put themselves on the brink of the quarter-finals.
Spain will meet a chastened Croatia next on Wednesday (AEDT) while Czechia, winless in the competition so far, must face England at Wembley having already lost to the Three Lions in this international window.
Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana
Spain
