Spain savour morale-boosting win

Spain 2-1 Argentina
A second-half penalty from David Villa earned Spain a much-needed victory against Argentina in their friendly in Murcia and eased the pressure on the national team amid speculation surrounding the future of coach Luis Aragonés.

Lowest ebb
Having seen their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying hopes dealt another blow with defeat by Sweden on Saturday, Spain started with a point to prove. Miguel Ángel Angulo, Fernando Torres and Xavi Hernández all went close in the opening 15 minutes and the hosts were rewarded for their early persistence when Xavi picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and dispatched a fierce strike high into the corner on 33 minutes.

Penalty awarded
The celebrations were short-lived, however, and seconds later, an unmarked Daniel Bilos was left free to tuck the ball under Pepe Reina and level the scores. Spain started the second half with the same determination and restored the lead just after the hour. Roberto Ayala brought down Andrés Iniesta and David Villa rifled in the resulting spot-kick to the delight of the home fans. Spain could even have added to their tally had efforts from David Villa and Luis García not been ruled offside during the closing moments.