Spain beat Czechia 2-0 in Prague on Thursday with an Álex Baena penalty and a stoppage-time goal from Marc Pubill, stretching their unbeaten run to 43 games and keeping a perfect Nations League record. For Czechia's Ladislav Krejčí, the night ended the same way it did against Spain in Oviedo on October 3: with a red card.
The same captain, the same opponent
In October, the Wolves defender was booked for dissent and then picked up a second yellow in the 85th minute for dragging back Roberto Fernández, and Mikel Merino scored four minutes later to seal a 3-1 Spain win. At Letná, it was quicker and more direct. After a VAR review in the 69th minute, the referee upgraded his card and Krejčí was sent off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, leaving Czechia with 10 men for the final 20 minutes.
That's two meetings with Spain this fall and two early exits for Czechia's captain.
Baena's penalty, Pubill's late finish
The opener came in the 39th minute after VAR flagged a handball by Lukáš Ambros, and Baena converted from the spot. Fabián Ruiz hit the crossbar shortly afterward, and Yeremy Pino had a 48th-minute goal, set up by a long pass from Unai Simón, ruled out for offside.
Czechia matched Spain for long spells, and Hložek hit the crossbar with a header, but by BBC Sport's figures they took 13 shots and put none on target. With the extra man, Spain finally closed it in the sixth minute of stoppage time, when substitute Marc Pubill won the ball at the edge of the box and beat Kovář at the near post for 2-0.
Spain move to 15 points from five games in League A Group 3, already through to the quarterfinals. Czechia stay on zero after five straight defeats, with two goals scored and 11 cocedd.
