On a freezing night, with temperatures of four degrees Celsius, light drizzle and humidity above 90%, Spain beat Czechia at Prague’s Letná Stadium thanks to goals from Álex Baena (39') and Marc Pubill (90+6'). It was the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League, and Luis de la Fuente’s side delivered the kind of authoritative, assured performance expected of champions in a match of this importance. Spain therefore remain top of Group A3, but must face England at the Metropolitano this Sunday, 15 November, to secure that position.

The Spanish national team had to contend in the first half with a well-organised Czech side coached by Santi Denia, a vocal home crowd and the biting cold of a November night in Prague. Despite those challenges, Luis de la Fuente’s players imposed their rhythm and dominated both possession and chances. Unai Simón had little to do, while Kovar was given plenty to worry about. From the 18th minute onwards, Spain began to threaten the opposition goal, with Ferran sending a shot narrowly wide. A minute later, Cucurella tried his luck, firing over the bar after a fine move from the visitors. Cubarsí also went close with a header that struck the post, although the effort was ruled out for offside.

Spain kept pressing, and when Lukas Ambros handled the ball, Nikola Dabanović pointed to the spot after consulting VAR. Fabián handed the ball to Álex Baena, who stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards. Baena opened the scoring and netted his fifth goal for Spain in the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League group stage. The first half ended with Fabián hitting the post with a shot that could have given Spain a two-goal cushion.

Spain have now gone 44 consecutive competitive matches unbeaten.

In the 48th minute, shortly after the restart, Yeremy Pino scored a superb goal from a long pass by Unai Simón, who had launched the ball forward. It could have made it 0-2, but the goal was ruled out for offside — another warning that Spain were determined to take all three points.

As the minutes passed, Luis de la Fuente’s side continued to push forward, but Czechia were not prepared to give up on home soil. Two late surges put Spain under pressure in the closing stages, despite the hosts having only ten players on the pitch.

Despite being down to ten men following Krejčí’s sending-off, two late surges from the home side put Spain under pressure in the closing stages. However, the world champions know how to manage these situations and held on to their lead. The Spain coach used all his substitutes as his team battled to secure the three points at a challenging venue for several reasons. In the final minute of the match, Marc Pubill fought for the ball on the edge of the penalty area as though the game had only just begun, then finished brilliantly to make it 0-2 and seal the win.

Spain have now gone 44 consecutive competitive matches unbeaten and moved on to 15 points at the top of UEFA Nations League Group A3. These remarkable figures reflect a team that continues to show ambition and a determination to compete for every trophy available. Their next fixture will be against England in the final match of the group stage, with top spot at stake as Spain bring 2026 to a close.