Euro 2016

Qualifying group C

Spain 1 – Ukraine 0

Spain: Casillas; Juanfran, Sergio Ramos, Piqué, Jordi Alba (Bernat 78’); Busquets; Koke, Iniesta (Cazorla 74’), David Silva, Isco; Morata (Pedro 65’). 4-1-4-1.
Ukraine: Pyatov; Fedestkiy, Khacheridi, Kucher, Shevchuk; Tymoschuk, Stepanenko (Garmash 76‘); Yarmolenko, Rotan, Konoplyanka; Zozulya (Kravets 32‘, Budkivskiy 91’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 29. Morata. Lifted shot over keeper after Koke played on Iniesta pass.

A close thing in the end, but Spain beat Ukraine 1-0 to move three points clear of their opponents in their group. Starting the day level in the table with the East Europeans, and still three points behind group leaders Slovakia, this was a must win match. Silva and Isco went close early on, and Pyatov had to tip a long shot from Koke over the bar, but Fedestkiy and Rotan fired shots just wide in reply. With just under half an hour gone though Koke played Iniesta’s pass straight into the path of Morata, who held off his marker before lifting a deflected shot over the keeper and in to the net. Sergio Ramos came close to a second when he headed Silva’s wide free kick against the bar just before the break, but after the restart Casillas had to save three times from Rotan, once when he gave the ball away to the midfielder himself, and for a while it looked as if Ukraine must equalize. In the end though Del Bosque’s side held it together, and only a lungeing save by Pyatov prevented Cazorla from adding to the scoreline near the end.