Lamine Yamal leads Spain to second Nations League win

Spain have taken control of Nations League Group 3 after extending their perfect start to two wins from two matches. Lamine Yamal was the key figure in the victory over Croatia, while the result leaves Spain at the top of the section and Croatia in third place with three points.

The Barcelona forward put Spain ahead in the second minute, converting Alex Baena’s service. Croatia responded through Drena Beljo in the 28th minute, but the equaliser lasted only three minutes. Yamal then supplied the final pass for Marc Pubill to restore Spain’s advantage and send the hosts into the break ahead.

Spain continued to dominate after half-time, and Yamal added his second goal in the 63rd minute. Starting from the right, he found the net with a finish from a tight angle. Nico Williams, introduced five minutes earlier, completed the scoring in the 89th minute to confirm a 4-1 win.

The result builds on Spain’s 3-2 away victory against England in the opening round and gives the reigning world champions an early lead in Group 3. Croatia, who have one win from their first two matches, must now recover before their next fixture against England. Spain will host the Czech Republic on October 3, when they will seek to maintain their winning run.