Spain’s meeting with Croatia began in a blur of red shirts and Barcelona blue, with Lamine Yamal striking after only two minutes in a move that travelled almost the length of the opening possession.
The 1-0 came 71 seconds after Dutch referee Bozubuyuk started the match. Croatia did not touch the ball before goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, Yamal’s Barcelona teammate, was beaten.
Quick facts
- Lamine Yamal scored Spain’s opener in the second minute against Croatia.
- The move started directly from Spain’s kick-off and contained 25 passes.
- Every Spanish outfield player except Mikel Oyarzabal took part in the sequence; Unai Simón was the only other player not involved.
- Marc Cucurella, Álex Baena and Fermín López contributed before Yamal finished.
- The goal was Yamal’s ninth in 35 Spain appearances.
Spain worked the ball through a collective sequence involving Cucurella, Baena and Fermín before Yamal bent a left-footed finish beyond Livakovic. The teenage forward had also scored at Wembley, and has now found the net in consecutive international matches.
The scale of the opening action underlined Spain’s control from the first whistle: 25 passes, with Croatia left chasing throughout, before Yamal supplied the final touch. Only centre-forward Oyarzabal and goalkeeper Simón did not feature in the passing chain.
