Lamine Yamal scores twice as Spain thrash Croatia to top UEFA Nations League group

Spain started the match with incredible intensity at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Yamal opened the scoring after just two minutes, firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner following a precise pass from Álex Baena. Croatia struggled to cope with the early pressure as the hosts dominated possession.

Opta noted the historical significance, stating: "Spain have scored in the first two minutes of play in consecutive matches, against England and against Croatia. It is the first time they have achieved this in any competition since at least 2004."

Croatia managed to find an equaliser against the run of play when Dion Beljo headed home an Ivan Perisic cross in the 28th minute. However, Spain responded almost immediately to regain their advantage. Just three minutes later, Yamal turned provider, delivering a wonderful cross from a corner routine that allowed Marc Pubill to head the ball high into the net.

The hosts maintained absolute control of the midfield, restricting their opponents to minimal opportunities while continuously threatening Dominik Livakovic. The scoreline could have been even wider before the interval, as Mikel Oyarzabal had a goal ruled out for offside and Fermin Lopez struck the post in stoppage time.

In the second half, Spain continued to dictate the tempo and eventually extended their lead. Yamal grabbed his second goal of the evening in the 63rd minute, finishing beautifully from a difficult angle after receiving a pass from substitute Pedri. Luis de la Fuente's men controlled 63.7% of the possession and registered 16 total shots.

Despite the intense competition, the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan crowd displayed immense respect, offering a standing ovation to Croatia legend Luka Modric when he entered the pitch in the 81st minute. De la Fuente's substitutions proved highly effective once more, as Mikel Merino provided the assist for Nico Williams' late strike in the 89th minute, sealing the 4-1 victory.

Spain now sit firmly at the top of League A Group 3 with six points, having defeated England in the opening round before dismantling Croatia. They will look to extend their flawless streak against Czechia in their next fixture, aiming to secure early qualification for the knockout stages.