Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is understood to have been left concerned by some of David Raya’s moments during Spain’s 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic, despite La Roja maintaining their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League campaign.
Spain secured another important three points at the Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo on Saturday, October 3, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Mikel Merino. However, the night was not completely comfortable for the world champions after the Czech Republic managed to pull a goal back in the second half.
Raya started in goal for Spain and was given an opportunity to impress after spending much of the 2026 World Cup behind Unai Simón in the national-team pecking order. The Arsenal goalkeeper made some useful interventions during the match, but there were also moments that could have caused serious problems for De la Fuente’s side.
Spain controlled much of the first half and went into the interval with a 2-0 advantage. Yamal opened the scoring with another outstanding finish before Rodri doubled the lead. At that point, Spain appeared to be heading towards another comfortable victory.
The second half, however, produced a different challenge.
Spain’s intensity dropped following several substitutions, allowing the Czech Republic to find more space and attack with greater confidence. The hosts eventually found a way through in the 69th minute when Jiri Sláma finished a rapid counter-attack with an angled effort that went inside Raya’s right post.
The goal changed the atmosphere of the match.
According to reports from the game, the finish gave Raya little chance, with Sláma producing a precise strike into the far corner. Nevertheless, the goal highlighted concerns about Spain’s defensive concentration after the team had been dominant for long periods.
De la Fuente will have been particularly interested in how his goalkeeper responded after conceding.
Raya did make an important intervention earlier in the second half when he came off his line to deal with a dangerous ball from Adam Hložek. His positioning helped Spain prevent another promising Czech attack.
However, another incident later in the match created even more concern.
Raya was involved in a mistake during a set-piece situation when the ball appeared to slip from his hands. Naderi was able to finish the loose ball into the net, but the goal was eventually ruled out because of a foul committed before the finish.
That decision prevented Spain from facing a potentially dramatic final few minutes.
Spanish reports highlighted the incident as one of Raya’s worrying moments. One assessment noted that the goalkeeper had been relatively comfortable for much of the game but suffered a scare late on, while another report described the disallowed goal as a major warning for Spain.
For De la Fuente, the situation is therefore less about blaming Raya for the goal itself and more about demanding greater concentration from his goalkeeper.
Spain are currently operating at an extremely high level. Following their 3-1 victory, the national team extended their unbeaten run to 41 matches and maintained their perfect start to the Nations League. The result also moved them closer to qualification for the quarter-finals.
With such high standards, even small mistakes can attract attention.
Raya’s position with the national team is particularly interesting because Spain have several talented goalkeepers competing for selection. Unai Simón remains a major figure for the national side and played a significant role during Spain’s successful World Cup campaign. Raya therefore knows that every opportunity he receives with Spain is important.
The Arsenal goalkeeper has nevertheless built a strong reputation for his ability with the ball at his feet, his distribution and his confidence when playing behind a high defensive line.
Those qualities fit naturally into Spain’s possession-based football.
But De la Fuente will also expect his goalkeeper to provide reliability when Spain come under pressure.
The Czech Republic’s goal showed how quickly a match can change. Spain had been comfortable, but once their intensity dropped, the opposition found space and began asking questions of the defence.
That is something De la Fuente will want his players to learn from.
The Spain coach has repeatedly emphasized the importance of his players continuing to improve, even after major victories. Following Spain’s earlier Nations League victory over England, De la Fuente stressed that his players never stop striving to become better.
That mentality is likely to apply to Raya as well.
The goalkeeper should not be judged solely on the goal Spain conceded. The Czech Republic’s counter-attack exposed space on the left side of Spain’s defence, and Sláma’s finishing was accurate enough to beat Raya.
In other words, responsibility for the goal cannot simply be placed on the goalkeeper.
However, the late mistake from Raya is an area that the coaching staff will certainly want to address.
At international level, Spain cannot afford unnecessary errors, particularly when playing knockout football or facing the strongest nations in Europe.
The positive for Raya is that Spain still managed to finish the match strongly.
After the Czech Republic reduced the deficit to 2-1, Spain responded with greater urgency. Mikel Merino eventually restored the two-goal advantage in the closing stages, converting after VÃctor Muñoz created the opportunity.
The goal effectively ended Czech hopes of completing a comeback.
Spain’s victory therefore remained convincing on the scoreboard, even if the performance contained moments that De la Fuente will want to analyse.
For Raya, the match represents another valuable international experience.
He will understand that conceding a goal is part of being a goalkeeper, particularly when the opposing attacker produces an excellent finish. What matters now is how he responds.
Rather than allowing one difficult moment to affect his confidence, Raya will need to use the experience as motivation to improve.
Spain’s goalkeeper competition remains intense, and De la Fuente has demonstrated that he is willing to rotate his squad. The manager will want every goalkeeper available to be ready when called upon.
Raya’s next opportunity could therefore be extremely important.
The Arsenal star has already demonstrated that he can operate at the highest level. His challenge now is to show the same consistency with Spain that has made him an important player at club level.
For De la Fuente, the message is likely to be simple: Spain may be winning, but there is still room for improvement.
The 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic keeps Spain’s momentum going, but the goal conceded and Raya’s late handling error provide useful lessons.
Spain remain one of the strongest teams in international football, and their unbeaten run shows just how difficult they are to defeat. But De la Fuente will know that maintaining that level requires concentration from every player, especially the goalkeeper.
Raya will now have to respond positively.
The Czech Republic may have scored once, but Spain ultimately had the final word. Yamal, Rodri and Merino ensured that the European champions left Oviedo with another three points.
For Raya, however, the match will be remembered as an opportunity to learn.
The goalkeeper will hope that his next appearance for Spain produces the kind of assured performance that leaves no doubt about his ability to compete for the starting position.
And with Spain’s Nations League campaign continuing, De la Fuente will expect nothing less than complete concentration from his goalkeeper.
