UEFA Nations League Matchday 2 round-up: Spain, England take three points

Lamine Yamal struck twice as Spain earned a 4-1 success at home against Croatia on Matchday 2 of the UEFA Nations League, while England battled to a 2-0 success in Czechia.

Spain took three points from England on Matchday 1, and Marc Pubill got his first goal for his country as they took their tally to six in Sevilla. Yamal's Barcelona team-mate Anthony Gordon was also on target, making the second-half breakthrough for England against their ten-man hosts in Prague before Harry Kane made it 2-0.

Italy proved too strong for Türkiye on Monday, a 4-1 win making some amends for their opening defeat by a Belgium side that were two minutes from another positive result before Michael Olise's stunning goal earned France a 1-0 win. On Sunday, Dimitris Kourbelis' deflected strike secured a first-ever victory for Greece against Germany, while Gonçalo Ramos scored Portugal's winner against Norway in Oslo.

We round up the Matchday 2 action.

Czechia 0-2 England

Anthony Gordon's header and Harry Kane's smart finish ensured the Three Lions claimed their first Group A3 win against their ten-man hosts. England were firmly in control after Pavel Šulc was dismissed for a foul on Elliot Anderson midway through the opening half, with Morgan Rogers hitting the post and Matěj Kovář denying Kane in style.

The visitors got the breakthrough barely a minute into the second period with Gordon nodding into the bottom corner from a delicious Trent Alexander-Arnold cross, and Thomas Tuchel's side sealed the victory thanks to a piece of quick thinking from the visiting skipper to sweep home a loose ball.

Spain 4-1 Croatia

Lamine Yamal opened the scoring inside two minutes, beating Dominik Livaković after Fermín López's clever flick. Croatia levelled when Dion Beljo, making just his third senior appearance, headed in from Ivan Perišić's cross for his first international goal.

Spain needed barely two minutes to respond, Marc Pubill nodding in from Yamal's superb delivery. Yamal then added his second, meeting Pedri's through ball and finishing at the near post. Nico Williams sealed victory in the 89th minute, twisting free inside the area before rifling home.

Best of the rest

• Sébastian Pocognoli's first home game as Scotland boss ended in a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland. Ricardo Rodríguez converted a free-kick after Jack Hendry's 11th-minute dismissal, with Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni on target after the interval.
• Slovenia are second behind the Swiss in Group B1 after winning at home against North Macedonia. Sandi Lovrić's angled finish on 55 minutes broke the deadlock, and substitute Aljoša Matko made it 2-0 with his first senior international goal.
• Leo Sauer, 20, scored his first goal for Slovakia but it was experienced Dávid Hancko who hit their winner in a 2-1 against Kazakhstan, with Albania and Iceland (both 3-0 away, against San Marino and Luxembourg respectively) the other winners in League C.

Monday's matches

Belgium 0-1 France

Michael Olise struck a superb solo goal two minutes from time as Zinédine Zidane's men snatched victory in an entertaining contest that could have gone either way in Brussels.

Désiré Doué struck the crossbar in the first half and Lucas Da Cunha hit the base of the post after the break for Les Bleus. Dodi Lukébakio went closest for Belgium, but it was France who found the breakthrough late on, Olise going on a slaloming run from halfway and calmly slotting in.

Türkiye 1-4 Italy

Roberto Mancini's side bounced back from their opening loss to Belgium in style, never looking back after Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring early on, clipping the ball high into the net from a corner.

Davide Frattesi tapped in Italy's second after Michael Kayode's shot was parried, before the Brentford defender drilled in on debut. Türki̇ye pulled one back early in the second half through Barış Alper Yılmaz, but Italy immediately replied with Pio Esposito's header to seal victory.

Best of the rest

• Sweden once again proved an unhappy hunting ground for Poland as Viktor Gyökeres rounded off a 3-1 win for the hosts in a repeat of March's World Cup play-off.
• There was nothing to choose between the teams in Group B2, with goalless draws in Belfast and Tbilisi leaving Northern Ireland and Ukraine joint-top of the section.
• Montenegro struck a late winner for the second time in four days to move three points clear in Group C2, Aleksa Latković firing in to secure a 3-2 triumph in Armenia.

Sunday's matches

Serbia 1-2 Netherlands

Mexx Meerdink marked his first Oranje start with a well-taken double to clinch victory for the Netherlands in Belgrade.

The AZ Alkmaar forward converted an emphatic penalty on the half-hour mark following a foul on Crysencio Summerville, before substitute Luka Jović levelled from close range under a minute after coming off the bench at the interval.

The visitors looked most likely to secure maximum points as the contest wore on, with Ruben van Bommel's effort smacking the post, and Meerdink sealed the win with a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

Germany 0-1 Greece

Greece's winning start to life in League A continued courtesy of a famous victory against Jürgen Klopp's side in Augsburg.

The Ethniki – who had never previously defeated Germany in ten attempts – edged in front with just over 15 minutes remaining thanks to a deflected strike from substitute Dimitris Kourbelis following a sustained spell of pressure from the visitors.

Germany's best opportunity of the contest came shortly after the half-hour, when the lively Karim Adeyemi tested Kostas Tzolakis with a curling effort.

Norway 1-2 Portugal

Gonçalo Ramos' expert lob kept Portugal perfect after two games with victory in Oslo.

João Félix completed a slick move by firing in a precise 17th-minute opener for the Seleção, who then needed goalkeeper Diogo Costa to deny Erling Haaland twice before the break.

Haaland struck soon after the restart when the No1 parried a Martin Ødegaard free-kick, but Gonçalo Ramos intercepted Ørjan Nyland's pass to swiftly reply from outside the area.

Rafael Leão's deflected drive then hit the crossbar, with Gonçalo Ramos sending the rebound wide.

Denmark 2-0 Wales

Mikkel Damsgaard created both goals and hit a post as Denmark earned their first points with victory at Parken, condemning Wales to consecutive defeats.

The hosts enjoyed 70% of first-half possession, going closest when Damsgaard shot against the woodwork from distance.

Damsgaard's cross from the right was diverted in by opposition defender Ben Davies shortly after the restart, and the midfielder's delivery from the same area led to Gustav Isaksen hitting the second via the crossbar from inside the box.

Best of the rest

• Austria stayed perfect at the top of Group B3 by defeating Kosovo, who had also won on Matchday 1, with Carney Chukwuemeka coming off the bench to wrap up the win.
• The Republic of Ireland bounced back from their opening loss to Kosovo by beating Israel via first-half goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan.
• There was a fast start in Lithuania's Group D2 fixture against Azerbaijan, with Armandas Kučys converting a ninth-minute penalty for the hosts and Mahir Emreli equalising five minutes later, but neither side could find a winner.