Yamal brace fires Spain past Croatia, England beat 10-man Czechia - Punch Newspapers

Spain made it two wins from two in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday, beating Croatia 4-1 in Seville, while England secured their first victory of the campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Czechia. Lamine Yamal scored twice as Spain followed up their 3-2 victory over England on Matchday 1 with another convincing performance against Croatia. Yamal | AFP via Getty Marc Pubill and Nico Williams were also on target for the hosts, while Dion Beljo scored Croatia’s only goal. Yamal opened the scoring inside two minutes after beating Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković following a clever flick from Fermín López. Croatia levelled when Beljo, making only his third senior international appearance, headed in from Ivan Perišić’s cross for his first international goal. Spain responded almost immediately, with Pubill heading in from a superb Yamal delivery. The Barcelona forward then restored Spain’s two-goal advantage when he met Pedri’s through ball and finished at the near post. Williams completed the scoring in the 89th minute, twisting free inside the area before firing into the net.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google The result gave Spain six points from their opening two matches and strengthened their position at the top of Group A3. In Prague, England claimed their first points of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Czechia. Anthony Gordon and captain Harry Kane scored for Thomas Tuchel’s side after the hosts were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Czechia’s Pavel Šulc was sent off midway through the opening period for a foul on Elliot Anderson. England dominated after the dismissal, with Morgan Rogers hitting the post and Czech goalkeeper Matěj Kovář producing a strong save to deny Kane. Haaland overtakes Ibrahimovic, equals Drogba international goals tally Timeline of the charges against Man City Man City must be relegated after guilty verdict, says club’s former chairman The visitors eventually broke the deadlock barely a minute into the second half when Gordon headed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross into the bottom corner. Kane then doubled England’s advantage by reacting quickly to a loose ball and sweeping it home. The victory was England’s first in the Nations League after their 3-2 home defeat to Spain on Matchday 1. Elsewhere, Italy bounced back from their opening defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 victory over Türkiye. Belgium had beaten Italy 2-0 in their opening Group A1 match, but France also continued their winning start with a 1-0 victory over Belgium, Michael Olise scoring a late winner. In Group B1, Switzerland defeated Scotland 3-0, while Slovenia beat North Macedonia 2-0. Northern Ireland and Hungary played out a goalless draw, while Georgia and Ukraine also finished 0-0. Sweden suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Poland, while Romania lost 4-2 to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In League C, Albania defeated San Marino 3-0, Iceland beat Luxembourg by the same scoreline, while Slovakia edged Kazakhstan 2-1. Finland, who had thrashed San Marino 7-0 in their opening match, were scheduled to face Belarus later on Tuesday. The 2026/27 Nations League league phase continues with Matchdays 3 and 4 during the October international window before Matchdays 5 and 6 in November. UEFA said the league phase will conclude on November 17. Tosin Oyediran Tosin Oyediran is a journalist with Punch Newspapers, bringing over eight years of newsroom experience to his coverage of politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment. Known for sharp interviews and human-centered reporting, his work focuses on public accountability, civic issues, and the stories shaping everyday lives.

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