Laporte leads the defence as Spain tour Oviedo

At the Carlos Tartiere stadium, under the Oviedo floodlights, Laporte completed the ninety minutes as a starter in the Spanish defence. La Roja won 3-1 against the Czech Republic, and the only representative of Athletic Club in the lineup was precisely the Basque defender.

Massive rotation led by De la Fuente

Luis de la Fuente devised a broad rotation that included changes in goal; Unai Simón ended up on the bench and David Raya was the chosen one between the posts. The one from Agen returned to the lineup after resting in Tuesday's match against Croatia in Seville.

Endika Río, from Bilbao, noted that De la Fuente's decision aimed to keep key players fresh and test alternatives in a match he described as comfortable for Laporte.

Absences and substitutions in the squad

Nico Williams left the camp due to a muscle injury, while Cucurella was listed as a substitute and Pedro Porro remained in the medical area. Iván Fresneda, Fran García and Le Normand came on in place of Porro, Grimaldo and Eric García, respectively.

The referee awarded a foul in the 69th minute that gave a free kick to the Czech Republic; the ball hit the post after Laporte's header. In the second half, Rodri scored a header following a play by Lamine Yamal, which once again set the national team on course.

The match was also marked by Krejci's dismissal, which reduced the pressure on the Spanish defence. In the end, La Roja failed to seal the score with a second goal, but maintained the lead until the final whistle.

In the dressing room, the Spanish captain lost his armband when Rodri was substituted, a detail that sparked controversy among the Athletic players present on the field.