World Cup 2018 - Qualifying matches

Spain 8 - Liechtenstein 0

Spain: De Gea; Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Thiago (Nolito 46’), Busquets, Koke; Vitolo (Marco Asensio 79’), Diego Costa (Morata 69’), David Silva. 4-3-3.
Liechtenstein: Jehle, Rechsteiner (Yildiz 71‘), Polverino, Kaufmann, Góppel; Salanovic (Wolfinger 77‘), Martin Büchel (Gubser 83‘), Wieser, Marcel Büchel, Burgmeier; Hasler. 4-5-1.

Goals:
1-0. 10. Diego Costa. Got above marker to head wide Koke free kick past Jehle.
2-0. 55. Sergi Roberto. Ran on to Nolito pass and poked shot under keeper.
3-0. 59. David Silva. From close to goal after Vitolo crossed low from right wing.
4-0. 60. Vitolo. Connected with David Silva centre and struck shot wide of Jehle.
5-0. 66. Diego Costa. Looped header back past Jehle after keeper saved his shot.
6-0. 82. Morata. Picked up Nolito pass and cut back to shoot inside near post.
7-0. 83. Morata. Fired shot through keeper’s hands after Busquets laid ball across.
8-0. 91. David Silva. Struck low shot inside near post after Nolito played ball back.

Spain clocked up a resounding 8-0 victory over Liechtenstein on Monday evening to kick off the new World Cup campaign. By half time Julen Lopetegui’s side had only scored once, Diego Costa heading in a wide Koke free kick for his first international goal in two years. However with Nolito on the park they added seven more after the restart, Koke hitting the post with a free kick before Nolito put Sergi Roberto through for the second. That opened the floodgates, and in the next five minutes Vitolo set up David Silva for the third, and then scored the fourth himself after Nolito and Silva combined down the left. Soon afterwards Costa headed in his second of the night, looping a header past Jehle after the keeper blocked his first shot, and Morata came on for the Chelsea striker to help himself to two more in as many minutes later on. Silva hit the post again and then had a strike ruled out for a borderline offside, but with the game in injury time he netted his fourth in two games after Nolito played the ball back to him. An easy win as expected, but the real test comes next month when “La Roja” face Italy in Turin. Only one team qualifies automatically from this group, and after the Azzurri knocked them out of the recent European championships, Spain have a score to settle.