Euro 2008

Qualifying group F

Spain 1 - Iceland 0

Spain: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila (Angulo 46'); Iniesta, Albelda (Xabi Alonso 77'), Xavi, David Silva; David Villa, Morientes (Fernando Torres 43'). 4-4-2.
Iceland: Arason; Kristjan Sigurdsson, Ingimarsson, Bjarnasson, Steinsson,; Vidarsson (Hannes Sigurdsson 84'), Hallfredsson (Indivi Sigurdsson 73'), Brynjar Gunnarsson, Gunnar Gunnarsson; Gudjohnsen, Veigar Gunnarsson (Gislason 56'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 80. Iniesta. Ran on to Villa through ball and shot inside Arason's near post.

Spain moved up to third in their group after a 1-0 win over Iceland, their second victory in four days. The rainy conditions in Mallorca limited play in the first half though, and the first chance didn't come until twenty minutes in, when a David Villa cross-come-shot curled against the crossbar. The closest Spain came to scoring though was when Ingimarsson turned Capdevila's cross towards his own goal five minutes before the break, Arason somehow palming it away and Morientes dislocating his shoulder after bumping into the goalpost chasing the follow up. The keeper was in action again before the half time whistle, pushing away a shot from Villa which took a wicked deflection off a defender's boot.

Iceland had only managed a couple of efforts off target, a shot from Hallfredsson in the first minute and another from Vidarsson later on, and after the break Casillas was a mere spectator. Luis Aragonés had already brought on Fernando Torres to replace Morientes, and at the interval he replaced Capdevila with the versatile Angulo as a more attacking wing back. And Torres was immediately in the fray, having a couple of penalty appeals turned down by French referee Laurent Duhamel early in the second half.

The clock continued to run down though, Arason making good saves from Villa and Iniesta, and Silva having a goal disallowed for a previous foul on the keeper. But with ten minutes to go Villa slipped a ball in between two defenders, and Iniesta ran on to whip a shot inside Arason's near post. It was a great relief for the long suffering (and by then very wet) fans, and Spain were back in the fight for the qualifying spots. With away games against Latvia and Liechtenstein to come in June, they should reach the summer break with their destiny back in their own hands.