Five played, five won. Spain beat ten-man Czechia 2-0 in Prague on Thursday night, Alex Baena converting a first-half penalty and substitute Marc Pubill sealing it in the sixth minute of stoppage time to keep Luis de la Fuente's side perfect at the top of Nations League Group A3.
Spain had already booked their quarter-final place before travelling to Prague, and they did it without Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Eric Garcia, all injured, and with Mikel Oyarzabal sidelined by flu. De la Fuente made seven changes from the side that beat Croatia, and the much-changed team still controlled the night, finishing with 70 per cent of the ball and 22 shots, as AFP reported from the epet Arena.
Baena takes his chance from the spot
The pressure told on 39 minutes. A VAR check spotted Czech midfielder Lukas Ambros handling inside the box, and Baena — starting on the right of the attack in Yamal's absence and Spain's most dangerous player all night — blasted the penalty past Matej Kovar, who got a touch but could not keep it out. Spain might already have been clear by then: Pau Cubarsi headed a Marc Cucurella cross against the bar and Fabian Ruiz curled an effort off the post before the break, while Dean Huijsen twice threatened with headers from Baena deliveries.
Czechia, who have lost every game in this campaign, briefly threatened an upset after half-time. Yeremy Pino had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside two minutes into the second half, but at the other end David Zima forced a close-range chance over the bar and Adam Hlozek's glancing header landed on top of the crossbar. The hosts, though, never registered a single shot on target.
Krejci sees red against Spain again
The contest tilted decisively on 69 minutes. Czech captain Ladislav Krejci hauled down substitute Roberto Fernandez on a counter-attack, and after an initial yellow card, a VAR review upgraded it to red for denying a goalscoring opportunity — Krejci's second sending-off against Spain in a month, after he was also dismissed in last month's 3-1 defeat in Spain, as TNT Sports noted in its live coverage.
Kovar kept Czechia alive late on, twice denying Baena and saving from Fernandez at close range, and Fernandez then hit the post in stoppage time. But with almost the last attack, Pubill — on for Pedro Porro — won the ball high up the pitch as the hosts tried to play out and slotted low into the corner to make it 2-0.
Sunday in Madrid now decides top spot
The win stretches Spain's unbeaten run in competitive football to 44 games and leaves them on a perfect 15 points. Their final group game is the one neutrals wanted: England, who beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals themselves, come to Madrid on Sunday three points behind, with top spot in A3 still on the line. Czechia, pointless and bottom, must win in Croatia on Sunday to have any chance of staying in League A — a brutal end to a campaign that has overwhelmed Santi Denia's side.
On the same night in A1, Italy beat France 3-1 at San Siro to go top of their group, underlining how tight the race for the best quarter-final seeding has become across League A.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what a winning machine looks like. Spain were missing Yamal, Rodri and Olmo, rotated half the team, and still won in Prague without facing a shot on target — the system, not the stars, is the star. Sunday against England is a proper test of where both sides really are, and on this evidence Spain start it as favourites for a reason.
Can England end Spain's perfect run in Madrid on Sunday, or will La Roja make it six from six? Let us know in the comments.
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