Nations League matchday 2, Tuesday: Yamal scores twice as Spain beat Croatia 4–1, England win in Prague, and Switzerland win at Hampden

Tuesday closed matchday 2 with ten matches and twenty-three goals. Spain beat Croatia 4–1 in Seville, Lamine Yamal scoring twice and setting up a third, and lead League A, Group 3 by three points. England won 2–0 in Prague against a Czechia side reduced to ten men after 25 minutes, and Switzerland won 3–0 at Hampden after Scotland lost Jack Hendry to a red card on 11. Four of the seven winners were away from home, and both of the night's red cards went to home sides that went on to lose.

The early kick-offs

Finland 0–0 Belarus in Helsinki ended goalless after Belarus had a goal by Aleksandr Selyava ruled out by VAR on 68. Finland had 61 per cent of the ball and eight corners but only two shots on target from nine; Belarus had three on target. Finland drop to second in League C, Group 1.

Moldova 1–1 Faroe Islands in Chișinău gave Moldova their first point. Viljormur Davidsen put the Faroe Islands ahead from the penalty spot on 26, and Sergiu Perciun, on as a substitute at 52, equalised on 66. Moldova had 70 per cent of the ball and nineteen shots, three of them on target.

The evening

Spain 4–1 Croatia at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán was 2–1 to Spain by the 31st minute. Yamal scored on 2 from Álex Baena's pass; Dion Beljo equalised on 28 from Ivan Perišić's; Marc Pubill restored the lead on 31 from Yamal's cross. Yamal scored again on 63 from Pedri's pass, and Nico Williams, a substitute, made it 4–1 on 89 from Mikel Merino's. Spain had 64 per cent of the ball and sixteen shots, seven on target, to Croatia's five and two, and Croatia collected four yellow cards. Luka Modrić came on on 81. According to EFE, it extends Spain's run without defeat to 40 matches. Yamal said his second came from knowing Dominik Livaković, his Barcelona teammate, from training, and Luis de la Fuente called him a very generous footballer who puts his talent at the service of the group. Spain have not lost to Croatia in four meetings since November 2018.

Czechia 0–2 England turned on 25 minutes, when Pavel Šulc's yellow card was upgraded to a red after a VAR check; Sky Sports describes a studs-up challenge on Elliot Anderson. Santi Denia, the Czechia coach, was booked for dissent on 36. England scored two minutes after the restart, Anthony Gordon heading in Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross on 47, and Harry Kane made it 2–0 on 69. England had 66 per cent of the ball and twenty-one shots, six on target; Czechia had six and two. Sky Sports puts it as Kane's 87th goal for England. "We played very professionally in the second half," said Thomas Tuchel. England and Croatia have three points each; Czechia have none from two.

Scotland 0–3 Switzerland was Sébastien Pocognoli's first match at Hampden. Sky Sports reports that the referee first gave a penalty for Hendry's foul on Dan Ndoye and a yellow card, and that VAR moved the offence outside the box and upgraded the card to red. Ricardo Rodríguez scored from the free kick on 12. Nico Elvedi made it 2–0 on 55 and Zeki Amdouni 3–0 on 82, both from Ndoye's passes. Switzerland had 77 per cent of the ball and twenty-three shots, nine on target; Scotland had two shots and none on target. Pocognoli said the game plan had to be put to the side after eight minutes. Switzerland have six points from six in League B, Group 1 without conceding.

Slovenia 2–0 North Macedonia in Ljubljana was goalless at half-time. Sandi Lovrić scored on 55 from Tjaš Begić's pass, and Aljoša Matko, who had replaced Begić, scored on 82 from Danijel Šturm's. Slovenia put five of sixteen shots on target, North Macedonia one of nine. It is Slovenia's first win over North Macedonia in four meetings in the API's records, and it takes them second in the group on four points.

San Marino 0–3 Albania in Serravalle was 2–0 inside half an hour: Anis Mehmeti scored on 21 from Rey Manaj's pass and Myrto Uzuni on 27. Manaj added the third on 65. Albania put eight of fourteen shots on target and lead League C, Group 1 with six points; San Marino have conceded ten in two matches.

Slovakia 2–1 Kazakhstan in Košice was level at the break. Leo Sauer scored on 26 and Ramazan Karimov equalised on 35 from Zhasulan Amir's pass; Dávid Hancko won it on 82 from Ondrej Duda's. Slovakia had 75 per cent of the ball and eight shots on target to Kazakhstan's two. It is Slovakia's first win over Kazakhstan after two defeats in the 2022 Nations League, and their second win from two in League C, Group 3.

Bulgaria 0–0 Estonia in Plovdiv was the night's second goalless draw. Bulgaria had seventeen shots, nine of them blocked and two on target; Estonia had six, two on target.

Luxembourg 0–3 Iceland was settled by Iceland's front two. Andri Guðjohnsen scored on 13 from Orri Steinn Óskarsson's pass, Óskarsson on 39 from Guðjohnsen's, and Victor Pálsson on 73 from Gylfi Sigurðsson's. Luxembourg had 60 per cent of the ball and one shot on target. Iceland lead League C, Group 4 on four points.

The groups after two rounds

• League A, Group 3: Spain 6 (+4); England 3 (+1); Croatia 3 (−2); Czechia 0 (−3).
• League B, Group 1: Switzerland 6 (+6); Slovenia 4 (+2); Scotland 1 (−3); North Macedonia 0 (−5).
• League C, Group 1: Albania 6 (+5); Finland 4 (+7); Belarus 1 (−2); San Marino 0 (−10).
• League C, Group 3: Slovakia 6 (+3); Faroe Islands 2 (0); Kazakhstan 1 (−1); Moldova 1 (−2).
• League C, Group 4: Iceland 4 (+3); Luxembourg 3 (−2); Estonia 2 (0); Bulgaria 1 (−1).

Numbers to know

• Twenty-three goals in ten matches: three home wins, four away wins, three draws, two of them 0–0.
• Seven of the ten matches had a clean sheet for at least one side.
• Two red cards, Šulc on 25 and Hendry on 11, both for home sides; both went on to lose without scoring.
• Scotland had two shots and none on target; Switzerland had twenty-three.
• Three goals came from substitutes: Perciun for Moldova, Matko for Slovenia and Nico Williams for Spain.
• Spain, Switzerland, Albania and Slovakia are Tuesday's sides on six points from six.

Next up

Matchday 3 begins on Thursday 1 October with Azerbaijan v Liechtenstein at 16:00 UTC, then Germany v Serbia, Greece v Netherlands, Denmark v Portugal, Wales v Norway, Republic of Ireland v Austria, Israel v Kosovo and Malta v Gibraltar at 18:45. Group 3 continues on Saturday 3 October with Croatia v England at 16:00 UTC and Spain v Czechia at 18:45. The full round is on the Nations League page.

Sources for the context: EFE, EFE, Infobae, Sky Sports, Sky Sports.