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Spain's Fernando Torres, second left, celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal with Andres Iniesta, centre, and Xavi Hernandez, right. Victor R. Caivano/AP/Press Association Images
Review

Check out all the goals from tonight's Confederations Cup action

Spain beat Nigeria to book a date with Italy in the semis, while Uruguay routed Tahiti.

SPAIN SET UP a Confederations Cup semi-final reunion with Euro 2012 final victims Italy after beating Nigeria 3-0 on a steamy afternoon in Fortaleza on Sunday to secure top spot in Group B.

Vicente del Bosque’s side needed just a point to confirm a place in the last four, but they made doubly sure thanks to a fine brace of goals from Jordi Alba and a 62nd-minute header by substitute Fernando Torres.

The world and European champions will now face Italy, who they crushed 4-0 in last year’s Euro 2012 final, in the second semi-final in Fortaleza on Thursday, a day after Brazil meet Uruguay in Belo Horizonte.

Nigeria were ultimately left to rue last Thursday’s damaging 2-1 defeat by Uruguay, having begun their Confederations Cup campaign with a breezy 6-1 thrashing of Tahiti.

It was the teams’ first meeting since Nigeria beat Spain 3-2 in the group phase of the 1998 World Cup, and if the world champions were out for revenge, they were quick to draw first blood at Estadio Castelao.

There were three minutes on the clock when Andres Iniesta sprayed a pass wide to Barcelona team-mate Alba, and the left-back weaved around three challenges before stroking a low shot past Vincent Enyeama.

Nigeria looked set for an afternoon of toil amid stifling humidity inside the stadium, but despite losing Kenneth Omeruo to injury in the 11th minute, they took the fight to Spain.

Brown Ideye and Joseph Akpala spurned half-chances, while Spain goalkeeper Victor Valdes did superbly to tip a snapshot from the recalled Sunday Mba around the post.

Despite several slick interchanges, the African champions’ composure repeatedly let them down whenever they penetrated the Spanish area, but Spain were not without blame in that department either.

Roberto Soldado twice shot straight at Enyeama when clean through on goal, while Cesc Fabregas conspired to hit the post from only eight yards after being picked out by Soldado’s sweeping low cross.

Ideye should have drawn Nigeria level early in the second half, but although Ahmed Musa’s low centre presented him with an open goal the back post, he miscued and was unable to dispatch a shot.

Spain introduced David Silva and Torres from the bench and within minutes of coming on the Chelsea striker made it 2-0, flinging himself at Pedro Rodriguez’s left-wing cross to score with a glorious flying header.

Having scored four times in the record-breaking 10-0 rout of Tahiti earlier this week, Torres is now the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.

Godfrey Oboabona prevented the former Liverpool man from adding a third with a timely block, before substitute Muhammad Gambo spurned another good chance at the other end by slicing wide with only Valdes to beat.

Spain successfully took the sting out of the game thereafter, only for Alba to add the coup de grace in the 88th minute when he sprang the offside trap, rounded Enyeama, and rolled the ball into the net.

Uruguay secured their place in the Confederations Cup semi-finals with an 8-0 drubbing of Tahiti, featuring the fastest goal in the competition’s history.

The Confed Cup record-breaker at Recife’s Arena Pernambuco was Abel Hernandez, the Palermo striker heading in off Nicolas Lodeiro’s corner after just 79 seconds.

He went on to bag four, with Diego Perez, Lodeiro and Luis Suarez with a double, joining him on the scoresheet.

With this result following their record 10-0 loss to Spain and 6-1 defeat to Nigeria, Tahiti take their leave of the competition while Uruguay go on to face hosts Brazil in Belo Horizonte on Wednesday.

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Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez had changed his entire starting XI for the South American champions’ decisive first round match.

Star forwards Diego Forlan, Suarez and Edinson Cavani were all named on the bench, while Bologna midfielder Perez inherited the captain’s armband from suspended centre-back Diego Lugano.

Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta made four alterations to the team thrashed 10-0 by Spain last Thursday, with goalkeeper Gilbert Meriel, Lorenzo Tehau, Vincent Simon and Samuel Hnanyine coming into the team.

Four-goal hero Hernandez doubled up in the 24th minute with a skilful side-footed volley past Tahiti keeper Gilbert Meriel, with Perez adding a third before the half hour was up.

It was not all one way traffic, with Tahiti’s only professional, Marama Vahirua, testing Uruguay keeper Martin with a 25 yard strike.

Steevy Chong Hue was then unlucky not to capitalise on a solo run through the Uruguayan defence.

In first half stoppage time Hernandez bagged his third, picking up a pass from Inter Milan’s Walter Gargano to foil Meriel.

There was drama after the restart, when Andres Scotti’s penalty was saved by Meriel. Scotti was then sent off after the defender picked up a second booking.

Tahiti also went down to ten men when Teheivarii Wagemann picked up his second yellow on the hour mark – a minute later Lodeiro made it 5-0.

Hernandez got his fourth from the penalty spot as Suarez came on for Gaston Ramirez with 20 minutes left to bolster Uruguay’s attack and finish off the rout with a late double.

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© AFP, 2013

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