SEVILLE: Lamine Yamal produced a starring performance as Spain marked their first home appearance since winning the World Cup with a convincing 4-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League on Tuesday.
The teenage forward scored twice and provided an assist as Spain dominated the contest in front of a packed crowd at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Yamal needed only 75 seconds to make an impact, opening the scoring with a left-footed finish. It was his ninth international goal in 36 appearances for Spain.
Croatia responded shortly before the half-hour mark when Dion Beljo rose to head home an Ivan Perisic cross and bring the visitors level.
Spain, however, quickly regained control. Just two minutes after Croatia’s equaliser, Marc Pubill restored the hosts’ advantage with a header from a precise cross by Yamal.
The Barcelona forward then added his second goal in the 63rd minute, beating his club teammate and Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic at the near post.
Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams completed the scoring less than two minutes before the final whistle, finishing a fine individual run to make it 4-1.
The victory keeps Spain moving forward in Group A3, with Czechia their next opponent on Saturday.
Yamal’s two-goal display also further enhanced his credentials in the Ballon d’Or race, with voting having closed on Monday and the winner scheduled to be announced on October 26.
Before kick-off, Spain captain Rodri proudly presented the World Cup trophy to the home supporters. The trophy was handed to him by former Spain international and Sevilla great Jesús Navas, who was part of the Spanish side that won the 2010 World Cup.
“We were very excited to bring the cup here,” Yamal said after the match. “To be able to win the game and bring it home is great.”
Other Nations League Results
Elsewhere, Slovenia defeated North Macedonia 2-0 in Group B1, with Sandi Lovric and Aljosa Matko scoring for the winners.
Moldova were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the Faroe Islands, while Slovakia edged Kazakhstan 2-1.
Iceland recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Luxembourg, while Estonia drew 1-1 with Bulgaria.
Finland and Belarus finished their encounter in Helsinki without a goal.
