Lamine Yamal scored inside six minutes for the third consecutive game as Spain beat Czechia 3-1 in Oviedo, leaving them a single point from the Nations League quarter-finals already. Spain’s World Cup homecoming at the Carlos Tartiere, their first visit to the ground in eleven years, ended as they had hoped, although the second half brought a jeopardy no one had anticipated when it began.
Yamal’s goal might have come even sooner. Fifteen seconds in he chased down the goalkeeper, and after 57 seconds he ran on to a Dani Olmo pass only to guide his shot past the Czechia goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and past the post. He waited until the sixth minute instead: a quick one-two with Olmo on the top right corner of the area, then another curled shot into the far corner. He had been on the pitch 320 seconds, taking him to 494 seconds for three goals, after 104 seconds at Wembley against England and 70 in Seville against Croatia. Luis de la Fuente’s verdict was simple: “Lamine Yamal is on course to become a legend.”
Spain were not hurrying but they were controlling, and the chances accumulated: thirteen shots to one by half-time, and 70% of possession. The second arrived on 32 minutes and began with something Rodri rarely does, a run. Collecting near the centre circle, he advanced through midfield and slotted to Pedri, whose return, with the help of a defender’s touch, set him up to shoot high into the net. Alex Baena, denied by Kinsky after being slipped in by Yamal, was withdrawn at the break along with Yamal, whose work for the night was done.
Czechia, however, had other intentions. Vastly improved after the break, the visitors took a decisive step forward and a degree of control, and reduced the deficit with twenty minutes to go. The move began deep and progressed up the right and through the middle, with Jiri Slama sprinting to catch up; Adam Hlozek saw him coming and played the ball into his path for him to steer it low and true beyond David Raya.
Spain’s goalkeeper then twice threatened to undo that work. Raya stepped out to play and misplaced a pass straight to Ondrej Lingr, whose shot drifted wide of an unguarded goal. Greater relief followed in the 79th minute, when Czechia had an equaliser ruled out by the referee, Vassilis Fotias, apparently for a foul on Robin Le Normand as the free-kick that led to it was swung in. Michael Sadilek’s long cross had been headed goalwards by Ladislav Krejci and Raya, reaching by the bar, could not hold on, the ball dropping on the line where it was nudged in.
Czechia were reduced to ten men soon after, still furious, and finally fell with two minutes left. Victor Munoz was sent clear and dashed into the area, where Kinsky blocked, and Mikel Merino finished off the move to make it 3-1. The night had begun with Rodri being presented with the World Cup by Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata, academy products at Real Oviedo and members of the generation to which all others would forever be compared. A Spain side welcomed back as world and European champions once more were applauded off as winners again.