Spain v FYR Macedonia background

Chastened from their early exit at the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, Spain will look to get back to winning competitive ways as they take on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the opening round of UEFA EURO 2016 Group C fixtures.

Match background
• Spain are unbeaten in 35 UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup qualifying games (W32 D3) since a 2-0 UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying loss to Sweden in Solna on 7 October 2006.

• Twenty-seven games have passed (W23 D4) since Spain's last competitive loss on home soil – 1-0 against Greece in Zaragoza in a 7 June 2003 UEFA EURO 2004 qualifier.

• Spain's record in three games against FYROM is W3 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 in Spain – W2 D0 L0), and they have yet to concede in a competitive encounter with their guests.

• The sides' only previous competitive meetings were in EURO '96 qualifying. On 12 October 1994, Javier Clemente's Spain beat Andon Doncevski's FYROM 2-0 in their opening encounter in Skopje, Julio Salinas (15, 24) scoring both goals. The return fixture in Elche on 15 November 1995 ended 3-0 to Spain, Kiko (9), Javier Pereda (28) and José Luis Caminero (78) the scorers.

• Their only encounter since then, a friendly in Skopje on 12 August 2009, was a different story. Goran Pandev (8, 33) struck twice on the break to give Mirsad Jonuz's home side a 2-0 lead, but second-half goals from Fernando Torres (51), Gerard Piqué (54) and Albert Riera (56) earned a 3-2 win for Vicente del Bosque's side.

• In the nations' seven meetings in UEFA age-group competitions, Spain's record is W6 D1 L0. The FYROM side that held Spain to a 0-0 draw in a 4 November 1997 UEFA European Under-16 Championship qualifier in Segovia is the only Macedonian team to have avoided defeat against Spanish opponents in any UEFA competition.

• In the only UEFA encounters between the nations' clubs, RC Celta de Vigo beat FK Pelister 3-0 at home and 2-1 away in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round.