Spain beat Czechia in the UEFA Nations League and kept a perfect start to the window, moving to three wins from three and nine points. Lamine Yamal struck early, and Spain again found a way to win even after Luis de la Fuente made many changes to the starting lineup.
That matters now because Spain are being measured less by one result than by whether the rotation keeps working. De la Fuente had already said he would be satisfied if his side left the window with 12 points, and this victory left that target within reach with one match still to play.
Roberto was one of the players who summed up the mood best after the final whistle. He said it was his debut, that he was happy even though he wanted to score, and that his job was to pin the central defenders and create space for teammates to finish. He added that he had spent recent months learning from the group and enjoying the chance to be part of it.
The scoreline also came with a warning attached. Rodri was described as the standout figure, but he said the match was complicated and among the hardest he expected, with Czechia making the second half much more difficult. Spain still controlled the game well enough to mature it and protect the lead, yet the opponent’s effort after the break showed this was not simply a routine walkover.
That balance is what gives the result its real weight. Spain can turn to different names and still perform at a high level, and that is the point of the experiment De la Fuente is running across this window. The next and final match comes against Croatia, and a win there would close the window on the full 12 points the coach said would leave him satisfied.
