International Matches - Under 21

Spain 4 - Slovakia 2

Spain: Cuéllar; Melli (Soldado 79'), Raúl Albiol, Piqué, Garrido; Zapater, Raúl García (De la Red 55'); Jurado (Valera 74'), David Silva, Gavilán; Kepa. 4-2-3-1.
Slovakia: Kuciak; Siva, Brezinsky, Farikas, Husar; Kopunek, Hamsik (Adamik 81'), Bozok, Kona (Zosak 65'); Filo (Jendrisek 55'), Nemec. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 25. Kopunek. Shot from outside area which took a deflection off Raúl García.
1-1. 59. Kepa. Shot on turn across Kuciak after Jurado and Silva passing move.
1-2. 77. Jendrisek. Ran on to shoot past Cuéllar after Albiol clearance blocked.
2-2. 87. Valera. Ran in to head down past keeper from Gavilán corner.
3-2. 88. Soldado. Ranon to pass from midfield to shoot wide of keeper.
4-2. 90. David Silva. Header down into far corner from Soldado's cross.

Alzira. A close shave, but Spain's under 21 side qualified for the play-off stage of the European competition. Needing only a draw to win through, Iñaki Saez's side got off to a confident start, with Jurado and Silva both going close in the opening minutes.

However they fell behind when a seemingly harmless shot from Kopunek deflected off Raúl García's foot past Cuéllar midway through the first half. And although Kepa equalised soon after the restart following a good passing move between Jurado and Silva, they were caught out again a quarter of an hour from the end when Raúl Albiol's loose clearance was charged down, allowing Jendrisek to score.

Saéz immediately threw on Soldado, but for ten minutes the visitors held on as the clock ran down. When Kepa came close with a spectacular volley things looked desperate, but a minute later Valera stole in to head Gavilán's corner past Kuciak and level the scores.

That was enough, but Soldado made sure, first with an individualist effort and then setting up Silva for him to head home the fourth. Spain's hopes of qualifying for Holland, and with it a possible place in the 2008 Olympic Games, remain intact.