Spain maintained its perfect start in the UEFA Nations League top tier with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in Oviedo on Saturday. Lamine Yamal opened the scoring early, while midfielder Rodri and substitute Mikel Merino added goals to keep the world champions firmly atop Group C.
Luis de la Fuente’s side secured their third win in the competition at the Carlos Tartiere stadium, though the victory required weathering a second-half push from the visitors. Despite making nine changes to his starting lineup and losing midfielder Fabián Ruiz to family leave before kickoff, the Spain manager watched his team extend an unbeaten run stretching across 41 matches in regulation time.
Yamal and Rodri Build a First-Half Lead in Oviedo
The hosts needed just six minutes to break the deadlock. Lamine Yamal collected a pass from Dani Olmo on the right side of the penalty area, engineered space for himself, and curled a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Antonín Kinský into the far corner.
Spain dominated possession and tested Kinský midway through the half through Olmo before Rodri doubled the advantage in the 35th minute. Following another attempt by Olmo, Rodri followed up on the rebound inside the box to place a calm finish past Kinský in the Czech goal, giving the home side a comfortable two-goal cushion at the interval.
Czech Fightback and Late Red Card Test Spain
The complexion of the match changed after the interval. De la Fuente withdrew Yamal and made tactical adjustments that disrupted Spain’s rhythm, allowing the Czech team — guided by Spanish coach Santi Denia — to claw their way back into contention.
In the 69th minute, Jiří Sláma halved the deficit by latching onto a through ball from Adam Hložek and sliding a low shot past David Raya. The visitors thought they had equalized ten minutes later when Raya misjudged a cross, allowing Ryan Naderi to bundle the loose ball home, but referee Vassilis Fotias disallowed the goal for a foul by Lukáš Červ on Robin Le Normand during the build-up.
Frustration boiled over for the Czech captain, Ladislav Krejčí, who received a yellow card for dissent before earning his second booking in the 85th minute for hauling down Roberto Fernández to halt a counterattack. Reduced to ten men, the visitors surrendered a third goal in the 89th minute when substitute Mikel Merino tapped in a rebound after Kinský parried an effort from Víctor Muñoz.
De La Fuente Defends Squad Rotation Policy
De la Fuente defended his rotation policy after the match, noting that shifting nine players from the previous outing tested the team’s depth against quality opposition while managing player workloads.
The win leaves Spain with nine points from three matches at the summit of Group C in League A, three points clear of England — who defeated Croatia 7-0. Croatia sits third with three points, while the Czech Republic remains at the bottom without a point.
In the second half we lacked fluidity. The changes broke the game, and we lacked that brilliance that we showed during the first half. The team became a little unbalanced in that aspect.
Luis de la Fuente, Spain manager
