Spain 4-1 Croatia: Report, result and goals as Yamal steals the show in dominant win

UEFA Nations League,
League A-2

Spain
esp

Croatia
CRO

Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium

Serdar Gozubuyuk

Yamal sheet 2′
Marc Pubill 31′
Lamina Yamal 63′
Nico Williams 89′

Dion Drena Beljo 28′

Spain produced another impressive attacking display as they swept Croatia 4-1 in Sevilla, with Lamine Yamal scoring two goals and giving an assist.

The reigning world and European champions got off to the perfect start when Yamal opened the scoring after just 70 seconds.

Spain worked the ball down the left before Marc Cucurella and Alex Baena combined, with a clever pass from Baena eventually finding Yamal inside the box. The Barcelona winger took a touch before calmly firing a left-footed effort into the bottom corner.

Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic then kept his side in the game, parrying Baena’s effort after another quick Spanish attack before Cucurella’s follow-up was blocked.

Pau Cubarsi went close with a long-range effort before Croatia produced an unlikely equalizer in the 28th minute.

Ivan Perisic sent a superb cross into the box and Dion Beljo found space between Cubarsi and Dean Huijsen before heading into the top corner from close range.

Spain responds

Yamal took a short corner and exchanged passes with Fermín López before floating a cross towards the back post. Marc Pubill rose above the Croatian defense and fired a header into the roof of the net to restore Spain’s lead in the 31st minute.

Spain thought they had added a third five minutes later when Fermín’s effort was spilled by Livakovic and Mikel Oyarzabal converted the rebound, but the striker was offside.

Fermín then came inches from getting on the scoresheet himself before half-time, cutting inside the penalty area and curling a low effort against the far post.

Croatia made a change at half-time, bringing on Luka Vuskovic for Marin Pongracic’s booking, but Spain continued to dictate the game.

Lamine Yamal was at the center of almost all the danger for the home side and grabbed his second goal of the evening in the 63rd minute.

Pedri threaded a clever pass down the left side of the Croatian defence, and Yamal raced into the box before squeezing a left-footed effort at the near post from an extremely tight angle.

Yamal received a standing ovation when he was replaced by Victor Muñoz in the 68th minute, having scored two goals and provided an assist.

Croatia threatened briefly through Franjo Ivanovic, who cut inside and curled an effort wide, but Spain regained control early on.

Pedri tested Livakovic from distance before Spain added a fourth in the 89th minute.

Mikel Merino made a first-time pass through the Croatian defense and Nico Williams did the rest, beating Josko Gvardiol and calmly finishing the one-on-one.

Luka Modric came on for the final nine minutes to a standing ovation from the home crowd, but there was no way back for Croatia late on.

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