Yamal's Record-Breaking Strike Helps Spain See Off Czechia in Nations League.

Spain continued their impressive unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory over Czechia in their UEFA Nations League Group A3 clash in Oviedo on Saturday, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal once again stealing the headlines.

The 19 year old winger, who has emerged as a leading contender for the Ballon d'Or, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a moment of pure brilliance. Collecting a pass on the right side of the box, Yamal took a touch to create space before curling an exquisite finish into the top corner, leaving the Czech goalkeeper with no chance. His coach, Luis de la Fuente, could only put his hands to his head in disbelief at the quality of the strike.

The goal continued a remarkable pattern for Yamal, who also scored in the second minute of Spain's previous two matches against England and Croatia. In doing so, he became the first player in men's international football to score within the first ten minutes of three consecutive games. It was his 12th goal in his last nine appearances for club and country, underlining just how special the young talent has become.

Spain doubled their lead ten minutes before half time through captain Rodri Hernandez, who arrived in the box to drill a low strike into the top corner. It was Rodri's first goal for his country in over two years, and the Manchester City midfielder admitted it was a special moment. "It's always special to score for the national team," he said. "I'd not been scoring many goals; let's see if I've found that dynamic."

De la Fuente made several changes from the midweek win over Croatia, handing debuts to full back Ivan Fresneda and striker Roberto Fernandez. He also withdrew Yamal at half time to manage the youngster's minutes ahead of Tuesday's trip to Croatia, and the game lost some of its early intensity as a result.

Czechia pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining when Jiri Slama produced a fine low finish past David Raya after being played through by Adam Hlozek. The visitors briefly sensed an opportunity, and Raya was fortunate not to be punished after a misplaced pass and a spilled ball, though a subsequent goal was disallowed for a foul in the build up.

Any hopes of a Czech comeback were dashed when defender Ladislav Krejci received a second yellow card for pulling back Fernandez. With the numerical advantage, Spain sealed the victory late on through Mikel Merino, who calmly rounded off a sweeping move.

The win moves Spain three points clear at the top of Group A3, after England's emphatic 7-0 demolition of Croatia earlier in the day. It also extends Spain's remarkable unbeaten run to 41 matches, a sequence that includes their World Cup final triumph over Argentina in July.

Speaking after the match, De la Fuente was full of praise for his young star. "He never stops surprising us," the coach said. "He has so much talent, so much quality, that we still haven't seen the best version of Lamine by a long shot." With the Ballon d'Or ceremony approaching later this month, Yamal's form suggests he will be a strong contender for football's most prestigious individual honour.