Euro 2004 play off, second leg

Norway 0 - Spain 3

Spain are through to the Euro 2004 finals! Iñaki Sáez's side will be one of the 16 sides competing in Portugal after a comfortable 0-3 win in Norway. There was consternation before the game that "la selección" could be knocked out after a narrow 2-1 win in the first leg in Valencia. But Raúl calmed the nerves of the visiting fans shortly before half time when he latched on to a precision through ball from Valerón to shoot past Espen Johnson. And with only ten minutes gone in the second half, two dreadful defensive mistakes by the Scandinavians effectively put an end to the match. First of all it was Basma who failed to control the ball and left it at the feet of Vicente for him to find the back of the net, and then the keeper who fired a clearance straight at the head of Etxeberría for him to send the rebound looping back into the net. Spain will be there with the rest, and a thousand travel agents, hotel managers and shirt salesmen breathed a sigh of relief. (19.11.03)