Lamine nets double as Spain win again and England beat 10-man Czechs
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Sept 29 : Lamine Yamal scored twice as World Cup winners Spain extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches and maintained their perfect start to Nations League Group A3 with a 4-1 home win over Croatia on Tuesday, while England overcame 10-man Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague.
In a repeat of the 2023 Nations League final, which Spain won on penalties, Croatia recovered from conceding an early goal to equalise but were unable to resist a Spanish side fresh from a 3-2 win over England at Wembley on Saturday.
Spain’s first home game since lifting the World Cup in July was preceded by Rodri parading the trophy on the pitch and the celebrations continued in Seville when Lamine, just as he did against England, opened the scoring in the second minute.
Alex Baena’s ball into the area was dummied by Fermin Lopez and Lamine curled a first-time low shot inside the far post.
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Baena then had an effort parried away by Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic as Spain looked set to put the game out of reach early on but the visitors drew level through Dion Beljo’s 28th-minute header.
Spain took less than three minutes to retake the lead. Lamine whipped a cross into the six-yard box from the right wing and Marc Pubill powered a header beyond Livakovic.
Lamine scored his second and Spain’s third in the 63rd minute, collecting Pedri’s pass in the box before drilling his shot into the net from a tight angle, and substitute Nico Williams wrapped up the win with an 89th-minute goal.
“He’s a special player,” Williams told Teledeporte about Lamine.
GORDON AND KANE DOWN CZECHS
England struggled to find a way past the Czechs in the opening half, even with a numerical advantage, but an early second-half goal from Anthony Gordon sent Thomas Tuchel’s side on their way.
Morgan Rogers hit the post and Elliot Anderson’s goalbound follow-up shot was blocked by defender Robin Hranac before England’s chances were boosted by a red card for the hosts, with Pavel Sulc given his marching orders for a foul on Anderson in the 23rd minute.
“Strange to get an early red card, not the best for the team and spectators,” England manager Thomas Tuchel told ITV.
“It’s an awkward one but we kept going, got a win and that’s what counts.”
The Czechs had shown plenty of early promise before the sending off, but then sat back and England failed to create much real danger until taking the lead two minutes after the break.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, making his first England start in almost two years and just his second appearance under Tuchel, floated the ball into the box and Gordon stooped to guide a header into the bottom corner.
“I make that run time and time again and only a certain number of players have that ability, technique and bravery to be willing to make the mistake trying that pass,” Gordon said.
Gordon nearly turned provider minutes later with a cutback for Lewis Hall, but the England defender dragged his shot wide.
Hall then played a cross into the box which Czech captain Ladislav Krejci almost turned into his own net, with the ball hitting the upright, but England found the second goal in the 69th minute.
Harry Kane was in the right place at the right time to pounce on a loose ball in the area to sweep his strike into the far corner.
England had chances to increase their lead late on, with Eberechi Eze denied by the keeper, while Alex Scott almost marked his debut in style after coming off the bench, but his effort, after a one-two with Eze, went wide.
In Group B1, Scotland suffered a 3-0 home loss to Switzerland after going down to 10 men in the 11th minute.
Jack Hendry was sent off for a foul on Dan Ndoye and from the resulting free kick, Ricardo Rodriguez whipped the ball into the far corner.
Ndoye provided the assists for both Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni’s second-half goals as the Swiss made it two wins from two.
In the group’s other match, Slovenia beat North Macedonia 2-0.
Source: Reuters
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