Ten out of ten for superb Spain
Wednesday 14 October 2009
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Álvaro Negredo, far right, enjoyed a fine full debut for Spain (©Getty Images)
Spain ended their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with a perfect record of ten wins from ten games after defeating Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2 in their final Group 5 fixture.
Play-off spot
The Bosnians went into the match on a high having secured second place in the section, and with it a play-off spot, behind the European champions by beating Estonia on Saturday. Spain were in no mood to party, however, and never looked back after taking a 2-0 lead inside the quarter-hour even if added-time strikes from VfL Wolfsburg pair Edin Džeko and Zvjezdan Misimović denied them the one-sided scoreline they had appeared destined for.
Impressive debutant
Gerard Piqué opened the scoring with a header from Xabi Alonso's 13th-minute centre, quickly followed by David Silva's neat finish after a fine pass from Álvaro Negredo left the Valencia CF winger one-on-one with home goalkeeper Nemanja Supić. Negredo, the Sevilla FC forward, then took centre stage on his full debut by scoring twice in a five-minute spell soon after the restart.
European record
The first, on 50, was created by fine interplay between Andrés Iniesta and Silva, while Negredo showed a poacher's instinct to poke in Spain's fourth after Supić had failed to hold a shot. The 24-year-old turned provider a minute from time, his fine pass allowing substitute Juan Mata to make it 5-0. Džeko and Misimović then struck but in vain as Vicente del Bosque's side end the section eleven points clear of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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