Spain beats Czech Republic with goals from Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino

Despite another brilliant start with an express goal from Lamine Yamal and another overwhelming performance, Spain ended up being entangled in a very raw ending after a stretch of disconnection in which the Czech Republic saw the referee annul the tie in a somewhat incomprehensible situation. After playing the violin as always, La Roja needed to roll up their sleeves and walk over the embers of the desperate toughness of the Czechs, to end up closing out the victory with a third goal that came in a play in which Roberto Fernández survived a violent tackle, Víctor Muñoz collided with the goalkeeper in the area and Mikel Merino hit the net.

It was an outcome of an unexpected tone after the previous predictable development. Lamine Yamal, accustomed to scoring quickly, had a good chance when only 57 seconds had elapsed. The shot, similar to many others he has made, escaped him this time. No one would have been surprised by the goal, and no one was too concerned about the wasted opportunity. This team's game has reached such a point of solidity that it gives rise to the certainty that it will inevitably deliver goals. It didn't take long: after 320 seconds Lamine had already holed out again. He did it with the most anticipated shot, a left-footed shot from the right into the far corner. Even goalkeeper Kinsky knew it. In the same way that many teams know how Spain plays, especially the Czech Republic, with Santi Denia and Pablo Amo on the bench. Still, Lamine's goal came. Still, the Red ruled the match.

He is one of the prodigies of this team, capable of reducing almost anyone, be it Mbappé's France, Messi's Argentina, Modric's Croatia or this babbling Czech Republic. It doesn't matter. As it seems that it doesn't matter which footballers De la Fuente chooses to interpret an overwhelming score. In the third game in eight days, only Lamine has appeared every starting night, and he has uncorked them all. In addition, Roberto Fernández, from Espanyol, made their debut at the Tartiere, up front, and Iván Fresneda, from Sporting de Portugal, at right back. On the other side, Fran García returned to the team.

And so, almost with a general reform, Spain was weaving the web in which the Czechs were going to succumb, subjected to the frustration of chasing shadows. Sometimes they glided with slow, harmless-looking smoothness, but anyone knows that these pauses are just preparatory maneuvers. De la Fuente's team combines these two speeds with terrifying expertise. He is always two passes away from delivering a peck. Then Lamine chases a ball behind the defense with a control that is like catching a butterfly with a net. Then, alone against Kinsky, he misses the shot. No problem.

La Roja weaves again, with a pause first, until the pause evaporates, and Baena, Rodri and Pedri come together at the first touch, and Olmo appears alone in the area in front of the goalkeeper, who prevents the goal with a flash of reflexes.

The sequence from which the second finally emerged contains everything that defines this team. They tried a prepared corner that Lamine was going to finish off with a volley, but he lost control and the Czechs went on the counterattack. The loss triggered a voracious pressure that allowed them to recover the ball before they reached the center of the field. And the recovery activated the spring of hitting again. Rodri crossed through the middle, completed a one-two with Pedri and ended up scoring.

De la Fuente took advantage of the intermission to share efforts. He removed Lamine and Baena and brought in Víctor Muñoz and Yeremy Pino. And then he added Merino, Fermín and Zubimendi, in a period in which the revolutions of the Spanish team did fall, with certain symptoms of disconnection.