Spain extended their unbeaten run to 44 competitive matches with a 2-0 win over ten-man Czech Republic in the UEFA Nations League in Prague on Friday.
Alex Baena scored from the penalty spot in the first half before Marc Pubill added a late goal to secure Spain’s fifth straight win in the competition.
Spain had already secured their place in the quarter-finals. They will face England in Madrid on Monday in their final Group A3 match. Coach Luis de la Fuente was without several key players, including Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Eric Garcia due to injuries. Mikel Oyarzabal also missed the match with flu.
Spain started slowly but gradually took control. They broke the deadlock in the 39th minute after VAR spotted a handball by Lukas Ambros inside the box. Baena stepped up and fired his penalty past goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who got a hand to the ball but could not stop it.
Fabian Ruiz almost doubled the lead before half-time, but his curling shot struck the post. Yeremy Pino thought he had scored Spain’s second goal shortly after the break, but VAR ruled it out for offside.
The hosts showed more attacking intent in the second half, with Adam Hlozek coming close as his header landed on top of the crossbar. Czech Republic suffered a major setback in the 69th minute when captain Ladislav Krejci received a red card for fouling Roberto Fernandez during a counterattack.
Spain continued to push forward, but Kovar made several saves to keep the hosts in the contest. Pubill finally sealed the victory deep into added time with a low shot past Kovar.
The win kept Spain’s perfect Nations League record intact, while Czech Republic suffered their fifth straight defeat. They must beat Croatia in their final group match to have a chance of avoiding relegation.
