Spain maintained their perfect start to UEFA Nations League Group A3 on Tuesday, beating Croatia 4-1 in Seville with two goals from 19-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. The result extended Spain's European record unbeaten run to 40 matches and put them top of the group with six points after two games.
Yamal opened the scoring after roughly a minute — 70 seconds, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS — collecting Alex Baena's pass, benefiting from a dummy by Fermin Lopez and curling a first-time shot inside the far post. Baena then saw an effort parried by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who is also Yamal's club teammate at Barcelona. Croatia levelled in the 28th minute when the 1.95-metre striker Dion Beljo, winning his duel with Dean Huijsen, headed in Ivan Perisic's cross for his first international goal in only his third appearance. Spain regained the lead within about three minutes, as Marc Pubill headed in a cross from Yamal. Yamal added his second in the 63rd minute, taking a pass from substitute Pedri and firing in from a tight angle, before substitute Nico Williams sealed the win in the 89th minute.
The match was Spain's first home game since winning the World Cup in July, and captain Rodri paraded the trophy in front of a crowd of more than 42,000 at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium before taking a place on the bench. Coach Luis de la Fuente used the game to rotate his squad, with Martin Zubimendi starting in midfield. Spanish coverage described a side that controlled the game from start to finish against a declining opponent. The fixture repeated the 2023 Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties.
Croatia, now coached by Slaven Bilic after the departure of long-serving manager Zlatko Dalic, started without Luka Modric. The 41-year-old midfielder came on late to warm applause from Spanish fans, making his 204th appearance for his country. Perisic, the Croatian captain, earned his 160th cap.
Elsewhere in the group, England beat 10-man Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague and moved into second place on three points, level with Croatia on points but ahead of them in the table. The Czechs have no points. Spain had opened the campaign with a 3-2 win over England at Wembley on Saturday, when Yamal also scored inside the first two minutes.
Why it matters: Spain's form, with six points from two matches against two strong opponents, underlines the strength of a team that holds both the World Cup and a continental-record unbeaten run, while Yamal's scoring start suggests he remains central to their attack.