Spain barely allowed Croatia to settle before Lamine Yamal struck again. The Barcelona winger scored in the second minute of Tuesday’s Nations League match, extending a remarkable run that has kept the 19-year-old at the centre of the international window.
A second-minute statement
Yamal had also opened the scoring early against England on Saturday, in Spain’s 3-2 victory, and repeated the feat against Croatia.
- Spain kept possession directly from kick-off.
- Croatia did not touch the ball before the goal.
- After a passing sequence, Alex Baena laid the ball back into Yamal’s path.
- Yamal finished past Dominik Livakovic, his Barcelona team-mate, to put Spain ahead.
Ninth goal for Spain
The strike was Yamal’s ninth for the Spanish national team. It also maintained an exceptional sequence across club and international football.
An eight-match decisive run
Yamal has now registered at least one goal involvement in eight successive matches for Barcelona and Spain.
- The two Spain fixtures during that run are, so far, the only matches in which he has produced just one decisive action.
- His fast start against Croatia followed the similarly early goal against England three days earlier.
- The winger’s form continues to give Spain an immediate threat from the opening moments of matches.
