Spain hold off Czechia to move within one point of quarter-finals

Story by

Story by
Spain hold off Czechia to move within one point of quarter-finals

Spain hold off Czechia to move within one point of quarter-finals

Sun, Oct 4, 2026 ·

2 min read

Spain built a two-goal lead before the break

Yamal had gone close inside the opening minute, but his goal arrived after five minutes and 20 seconds. Dani Olmo exchanged a quick one-two with the Barcelona teenager, who collected the ball near the top-right corner of the area and curled a shot into the far corner.

Lamine Yamal in action for Spain.

The pattern was becoming striking: Yamal had scored after 104 seconds against England and 70 seconds against Croatia. In Oviedo, he made it three goals across those three matches in 494 seconds. He was withdrawn at half-time, with Spain already 2-0 ahead.

Rodri had doubled the lead in the 32nd minute. The midfielder advanced from near the centre circle, played the ball to Pedri and received it back after a defender's touch before driving his shot high into the net. Spain had 13 shots to Czechia's one by the interval and 70% possession.

Rodri with teammates Pau Cubarsí and Unai Simón.

Czechia threatened before Merino settled it

The match looked under control, but Czechia improved after the break. Jiri Slama pulled a goal back in the 69th minute, steering Adam Hlozek's pass beyond Spain goalkeeper David Raya after a move built from deep.

Czechia thought they had equalised when Ryan Naderi turned in the rebound from a header, but referee Vassilis Fotias had already stopped play. The Guardian reported that Fotias judged there had been a foul on Robin Le Normand during the free-kick that led to the chance. Czechia were reduced to 10 men soon afterwards, and Mikel Merino scored with two minutes remaining to secure the result.

The late pressure made the final score less comfortable than Spain's first-half control suggested. Raya had also misplaced a pass that presented Ondrej Lingr with a chance, while Lingr later missed an opportunity to score into an unguarded goal.

Spain remain a point from the quarter-finals

The win maintained Spain's perfect start in the Nations League group and put them within touching distance of qualification for the quarter-finals. Yamal's latest early strike was the headline, but the match also offered a reminder that Spain's control can be tested when opponents raise their intensity after the interval.

Luis de la Fuente, Spain's manager, said Yamal was on course to become a legend. The assessment followed another decisive contribution from the Barcelona forward, whose goals have helped Spain make a rapid start to the campaign.