Spain bounce back with Luxembourg success
Spain bounced back from the disappointment of losing their first qualifying game in eight years with a convincing win away at Luxembourg in Group C.
Vicente del Bosque made four changes following Spain's
defeat by Slovakia and goals from David Silva, Paco Alcácer, Diego
Costa and Juan Bernat were enough for the youthful-looking European
champions, who were captained for the first time by midfielder Andrés
Iniesta.
The opening minutes set the tone for the rest of the
match, with Spain dominating possession and Luxembourg intent on soaking
up pressure. Goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert twice denied Costa early on as
the visitors looked for the breakthrough, which eventually came through
Silva, who fired an unstoppable drive into the top corner after 27
minutes from just outside the box.
The goal brought a sense of
relief for Spain, who then stepped up a gear and played with more
freedom. Costa was again involved shortly after, latching onto a long
ball before miscuing his shot when one-on-one with Joubert. Strike
partner Alcácer endured no such problems, though, firing in Silva's
cutback five minutes from half-time to double the lead and give the
forward three goals in three competitive games for La Roja.
The
second half followed a similar pattern to that of the first, with Spain
on the front foot, and 20 minutes from time Costa was eventually able to
score his first international goal after a scramble in the box
following a Koke free-kick. Juan Bernat, making his debut after coming
on as a second-half substitute, rounded off the scoring on the
counterattack with three minutes to go.
