CORNERFLICK
The second round of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League concluded on Tuesday night, September 29, with 10 matches across Europe. It was a night that saw Spain underline their strength with an emphatic victory over Croatia, England celebrate their first win in Prague, and Switzerland put three past Scotland.
The standout fixture of the night came in Group A3, where Spain swept aside Croatia 4–1 to maintain their impressive start to the campaign with six points from their opening two matches.
Lamine Yamal was the star of the show for the hosts. The young Barcelona winger opened the scoring inside the first two minutes and, after Dion Beljo equalised for Croatia, played a key role in Spain’s swift response. Marc Pubill restored Spain’s lead from Yamal’s delivery before Yamal himself struck again, converting after being set up by Pedri. Nico Williams completed the scoring in the 89th minute.
The result once again highlighted Spain’s continued reliance on possession-based football, quick ball circulation and technically gifted players operating in wide areas. Yamal also demonstrated that his role in Spain’s attacking system has developed far beyond that of merely a promising young talent.
With two goals and an assist, he was effectively the focal point of Spain’s attacking play throughout the match. Spain, who had also beaten England 3–2 at Wembley in their opening fixture, have now started the campaign with back-to-back victories.
England Recover From Early Setback
In the other major Group A3 encounter, England defeated the Czech Republic 2–0 in Prague to claim their first three points of the campaign.
Pavel Šulc’s dismissal in the 24th minute shifted the balance of the match firmly in favour of Thomas Tuchel’s side, although England had to wait until the second half to finally break down the hosts’ resistance.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 47th minute, heading home a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Harry Kane doubled England’s advantage in the 69th minute to make it 2–0.
The victory was particularly significant for England after the Three Lions had suffered a 3–2 defeat to Spain in their opening match. A second successive setback could have left them further adrift in the battle for top spot in the group.
Scotland Endure Difficult Night as Switzerland Stay Perfect
In League B, Switzerland secured an emphatic 3–0 victory over Scotland.
Jack Hendry’s 11th-minute red card dealt a major blow to the hosts, and Ricardo Rodríguez subsequently opened the scoring from a free-kick. Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni added two more goals after the break as Switzerland recorded their second consecutive victory.
Elsewhere, Slovenia defeated North Macedonia 2–0 thanks to goals from Sandi Lovrić and Aljoša Matko.
In League C, Finland and Belarus played out a goalless draw, Albania cruised to a 3–0 victory over San Marino, Slovakia beat Kazakhstan 2–1, while Moldova and the Faroe Islands shared the points in a 1–1 draw. Iceland also claimed a 3–0 win over Luxembourg, while Bulgaria and Estonia finished goalless.
Overall, the conclusion of Matchday 2 of the UEFA Nations League was defined by Spain and Lamine Yamal’s outstanding display, England’s positive response to their opening defeat and Switzerland’s perfect start to the campaign — results that have already intensified the battle for top spot in the respective groups.