Friendly international

Spain 6 – Argentina 1

Spain: De Gea; Dani Carvajal, Piqué (Azpilicueta 70’), Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba (Marcos Alonso 78’); Koke, Thiago (Dani Parejo 82’), Iniesta (Saúl Ñíguez 55’); Marco Asensio, Diego Costa (Iago Aspas 46’), Isco (Lucas Vázquez 76’). 4-3-3.
Argentina: Romero (Caballero 21’); Bustos (Mercado 62’), Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico; Lucas Biglia, Mascherano (Pavón 55’); Lo Celso (Acuña 83’), Banega (Pablo Pérez 62’), Meza; Higuaín (Lautaro 58’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 12. Diego Costa. Latched on to Asensio pass to force shot past Romero.
2-0. 27. Isco. Turned shot past Caballero after Asensio crossed from right.
2-1. 39. Otamendi. Steered header down past De Gea from Banega corner.
3-1. 52. Isco. Steered shot past Caballero after Aspas laid ball across area.
4-1. 55. Thiago. Turned shot past keeper after Aspas touched on Isco cross.
5-1. 74. Aspas. Collected De Gea free kick and ran on to beat Caballero.
6-1. 75. Isco. Connected with Aspas pass and struck shot wide of keeper.

Yellow cards: Isco 68’, Tagliafico 68’, Meza 81’, Rojo 87’, Pavón 89’.

A brilliant display by Spain in their latest World Cup warm-up match, a 6-1 victory over Argentina confirming them as one of the hot favourites for this summer. With the injured Messi watching from the stands, the South Americans put up little resistance, and with twelve minutes gone Diego Costa opened the scoring with a brave lunge which left both him and keeper Romero injured. Soon afterwards Isco added a second with a low shot past Romero’s replacement Caballero after his Real Madrid team-mate Asensio set him up, and although Otamendi headed one back from a corner, Isco made it three shortly after the break following good work by half time substitute Iago Aspas. The Celta forward combined with Isco for Thiago to score the fourth, and then got on the scoresheet himself after collecting a long De Gea free kick. And just a minute after that Isco completed a hat-trick, once again after collecting a return pass from Aspas. Both have given Lopetegui something to think about when he decides on his final squad to take to Russia in just over two months’ time.