Spain’s identity crisis looks to be well and truly over after Marco Asensio inspired a 6-0 thrashing of World Cup runner-up Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday.
Defeat to Russia in July prompted a change of coach and doubts about the Spanish passing style but after an impressive win over England at Wembley, Luis Enrique has now overseen a demolition of Croatia too.
Asensio’s two long-range shots, the second cannoning in off goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic, had Spain three up before half-time, after Saul Niguez had earlier headed home.
Croatia, abject at the back, was no better after the break. Asensio first threaded Rodrigo Moreno through to finish before supplying the corner for an unmarked Sergio Ramos to nod in number five.
Isco then flashed a sixth into the top corner, again Asensio the provider.
Two victories in four days mean Spain sit top of League A’s Group Two, with a six-point gap over both Croatia and England, which plays each other in Rijeka next month.
Brushing aside two of the World Cup’s top four teams, and one so emphatically, sends out its own message, but just as satisfying for La Roja will be the sense of pride restored.
In particular, this display gave early vindication to Luis Enrique’s methods. .
The results: League A: Group 2: Iceland 0 lost to Belgium 3 (Hazard 29-pen, Lukaku 31, 81); Group 4: Spain 6 (Niguez 24, Asensio 33, Kalinic 35-og, Rodrigo 49, Ramos 57, Isco 70) bt Croatia 0.
League B: Group 3: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (Dzeko 78) bt Austria 0. League C: Group 2: Finland 1 (Pukki 12) bt Estonia 0; Hungary 2 (Sallai 15, Kleinheisler 42) bt Greece 1 (Manolas 18).
League D: Group 2: Moldova 0 drew with Belarus 0; San Marino 0 lost to Luxembourg 3 (Chanot 9, Joachim 45+1, Sinani 52).
