Spain made it three wins from four in their UEFA Nations League group with a 3-0 home win over Serbia on Tuesday night. Aymeric Laporte opened the scoring after just five minutes in a match in which the hosts had 29 shots to Serbia's two. Alvaro Morata and Alex Baena added further goals in the second half before Strahinja Pavlovic's red card.

Spain booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League with a hard-fought 3-0 win over toothless Serbia.

Although Spain dominated proceedings, especially after Aymeric Laporte's header opened the scoring after just five minutes, it wasn't until well into the second half that victory was assured, when Alvaro Morata made amends for a penalty miss with a second goal.

It came just moments after Aleksandar Mitrovic had missed a golden chance to level the scores, but Serbia collapsed in the final quarter and finished the game with 10 men after VAR upgraded Strahinja Pavlovic's yellow card.

Zubimendi's late goal secures win as Spain top Nations League groupLate Zubimendi's late goal secures win as Spain top Nations League group

He brought down Mikel Oyarzabal just outside the area and Alex Baena's exquisite free-kick capped a deserved victory for La Roja, who join Germany in the knockout stages of the Nations League.

Denmark's draw with Switzerland in Group A4's other match means that, thanks in part to the head-to-head tiebreaker, Spain are unlikely to be overtaken by two teams with two games remaining.

Luis de la Fuente was without seven of the starting line-up that beat England to European glory in Berlin in the summer, with Lamine Yamal the latest big name to be ruled out with a minor knock.

But the reigning continental champions hardly missed a beat in Cordoba as they stamped their authority on a hapless Serbia. The Group A debutants have bounced back well from a disappointing Euro campaign, but they were clearly the second-best side, creating few chances and enjoying little possession beyond the halfway line.

The front four of Morata, Baena, Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino peppered Predrag Rajkovic's goal and, although the Serbian shot-stopper had his moments, he also produced some fine reaction saves to keep the game close for as long as possible.

But the dam was always going to burst at some point, with the Serbian midfield unable to maintain possession and Fabian Ruiz and Martin Zubimendi comfortably running the show as Spain finished the game with nearly 30 shots on target.

Serbia's best chance came when Sasa Zdjelar's delightful ball down the right flank, with Spain exposed at the back, found Mitrovic at a comfortable height with David Raya almost completely out of the picture, but Mitrovic curled his effort high and wide, one of just three shots on target for the visitors all night.

After two promotions in three editions of the competition, consolidation was always going to be a priority for Dragan Stojkovic's side, and they did earn a point against Spain in Belgrade last month, but they were thoroughly outclassed this time around and must now bounce back against Denmark and Switzerland with a place in the quarter-finals still possible.