SPAIN THUMPED Cyprus 6-0 on Tuesday to keep their Euro 2024 qualification bid firmly on track after an early setback against Scotland.
La Roja followed up their hammering of Georgia with another hefty victory to stay second, two points ahead of Norway in Group A, having played a game less.
However Spain still trail leaders Scotland, who inflicted an early defeat on Luis de la Fuente’s side and have won all five of their matches so far.
Substitute Ferran Torres struck twice for Spain, while Gavi, Mikel Merino, Joselu and debutant Alex Baena were also on target.
“I’m very happy … it was very important to win today in front of our fans, and a win with a lot of goals is good for qualification,” Real Madrid striker Joselu told Spanish broadcasters TVE.
Lamine Yamal, who became Spain’s youngest player and goalscorer in the 7-1 win in Tbilisi last week, became their youngest ever starter at 16 years and 61 days old.
With Marco Asensio and Dani Olmo injured against Georgia, Yamal and Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams started on the flanks, as De la Fuente also brought Merino in for Fabian Ruiz.
Both sides stood for a moment of silence to honour victims of the earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya.
Spain presented the Nations League trophy they won in June to fans in Granada, although that success was soon forgotten after the women’s team won the World Cup and then the Luis Rubiales kiss scandal overshadowed everything.
The former federation president resigned from his post on Sunday and interim president Pedro Rocha watched on as Spain gradually dismantled an initially stubborn Cyprus side.
La Roja took the lead after 18 minutes when Williams burst down the left and crossed for Gavi, wearing a skull cap after an ear injury with Barcelona, to stroke home at the near post.
The Athletic winger set up the second too, with a delectable cross to the back post for Real Sociedad midfielder Merino, a Basque derby rival at club level, to head home.
Morata turned home the third after Yamal hit the post but the Atletico Madrid forward, who netted a hat-trick against Georgia, was offside.
Williams hobbled off with an apparent thigh injury and was replaced by winger Yeremy Pino just before half-time.
Another substitute, Joselu, headed home the third from Real Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal’s cross.
The Los Blancos defender also set up the fourth, for Barcelona’s Torres, who continued his recent good form at club level with a cool low finish.
De la Fuente sent on Villarreal midfielder Baena on for his debut and a minute later he netted the fifth from close range after a clever Joselu backheel.
Torres, called up to replace the injured Asensio, struck again to seal the rout as Cyprus lost their discipline, sprinting into the box to collect a ball over the top and sweeping home with aplomb.
“You have to work at your club to get the chance to come to the national team … but every time I’m lucky enough to come here I want to show what I’m capable of,” Barcelona winger Torres told TVE.
“I am working trying to make sure I take advantage of the minutes I get, to get the confidence of the coach, and I think I’m on the right track.”
Questions over De la Fuente’s position raised by the Scotland defeat now seem distant, with 13 goals in two qualifying matches also answering complaints that Spain lack firepower.
Meanwhile, Davide Frattesi ensured that Italy got their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign back on track with a brace in Tuesday’s entertaining 2-1 win over Ukraine which moved the Azzurri second in Group C.
Inter Milan midfielder Frattesi scored twice in the first half-an-hour at the San Siro to give Luciano Spalletti his first success on his home debut as coach of the European champions.
The 22-year-old, who was picked in place of the injured Sandro Tonali, rifled in two low finishes to move Italy level on seven points with Ukraine, who scored through captain Andriy Yarmolenko four minutes before half-time, and North Macedonia.
But Italy occupy the second of two automatic qualifying places on head-to-head record between those three teams, six points behind England who have played a game more.
Tuesday’s win might have had a tight scoreline but there were encouraging signs that Italy were beginning to take on some of Spalletti’s methods.
Apart from a brief period after the break Italy dominated the match with a flowing brand of football reminiscent of the Napoli team Spalletti led to the Serie A title last season.
Missing a clutch of first-choice players including Juventus forward Federico Chiesa, Italy could easily have won by more.
They wasted a host of chances and struck the woodwork through Manuel Locatelli in a display which was worlds away from the dismal 1-1 draw with North Macedonia in Skopje on Saturday.
Next month Italy face Malta in Bari before travelling to Wembley, the site of their thrilling triumph at the last Euro, to take on England.
Euro 2024 qualifying results on Tuesday:
Group A
Norway 2 (Haaland 25, Odegaard 33) Georgia 1 (Zivzivadze 90+1)
Spain 6 (Gavi 18, Merino 33, Joselu 70, Ferran Torres 73, 83, Baena 77) Cyprus 0
Group C
Italy 2 Frattesi (12, 29) Ukraine 1 (Yarmolenko 41)
Malta 0 North Macedonia 2 (Elmas 5, Manev 41)
Group F
Belgium 5 (Vertonghen 4, Trossard 18, Lukaku 56, 58, De Ketelaere 88) Estonia 0
Sweden 1 (Holm 90) Austria 3 (Gregoritsch 53, Arnautovic 56, 69-pen)
Group I
Israel 1 (Kanichowsky 90+3) Belarus 0
Romania v Kosovo: match interrupted
Switzerland 3 (Itten 49, Xhaka 84, Shaqiri 90+3-pen) Andorra 0
