Spain beats Czech Republic 3-1 to stay perfect in Nations League
World champions Spain secured their third win in three Nations League matches, defeating the Czech Republic 3-1 despite a brief second-half comeback attempt by the visitors.
In UEFA Nations League A Division Group 3, Spain claimed a 3-1 home win over the Czech Republic, extending their perfect record to three victories in three games.
Spain took the lead early when Lamine Yamal struck from outside the box in the sixth minute, finding the top corner. The hosts doubled their advantage before halftime through Rodri, who beat the Czech goalkeeper despite being surrounded by defenders. Spain dominated possession throughout the first half, generating more than ten attempts on goal.
The second half told a different story, as the Czechs managed to disrupt Spain's control of the match. In the 69th minute, Jiri Slama capitalized on a pass from Adam Hlozek to pull one back, cutting the deficit to a single goal. The goal appeared to rattle Spain, who began making more mistakes as the match progressed.
In the 79th minute, the Czechs nearly leveled the score after Spanish goalkeeper David Raya failed to hold onto the ball from a set piece. Rayan Nader put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul committed by a teammate against Robin Le Normand.
The match swung decisively when Czech defender Ladislav Krejci was sent off for a second yellow card, leaving the visitors a man down late in the game. Mikel Merino made the most of the advantage, scoring Spain's third goal to seal the 3-1 victory.
The result keeps Spain atop Group 3. Elsewhere on the same matchday, England delivered a 7-0 away rout of Croatia. In Division B, Scotland picked up their first win of the campaign, beating North Macedonia 2-0, while Switzerland earned a third straight victory, defeating Slovenia 2-1 after recovering from an early deficit.
