World Cup 2018 - Qualifying matches

Spain 4 – Israel 1

Spain: De Gea; Dani Carvajal, Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Thiago (Koke 63’), Busquets, Iniesta (Isco 70’); Vitolo (Iago Aspas 84’), Diego Costa, David Silva. 4-3-3.
Israel: Marciano; Dasa, Tibi (Twatha 19’), Tzedek, Gershon; Cohen, Natcho, Einbinder (Keltjens 60’); Ben Chaim (Tomer Hemed 64’), Zahavi, Rafaelov. 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 13. David Silva. Picked up Jordi Alba pass and turned shot under Marciano.
2-0. 45. Vitolo. Forced shot past keeper after latching on to Thiago through ball.
3-0. 51. Costa. Steered far post header down past keeper from Thiago corner.
3-1. 76. Refaelov. Drove shot back in to net after Gershon header came off post.
4-1. 88. Isco. Collected Iago Aspas pass and cut across to shoot inside near post.

Yellow cards: Dasa 77’.

Spain stay top of their group, ahead of Italy on goal difference, after a 4-1 victory over Israel on Friday night. Thiago hit the bar with a long shot before David Silva opened the scoring after Jordi Alba set him up with just under a quarter of an hour gone. However the visitors came close to levelling it a couple of times before the break, the first a shot by Zahavi just past the post after he intercepted a poor Alba back pass, and the second a header from Refaelov which De Gea pushed away for a corner. With half time approaching though Vitolo forced a shot past Marciano to make it two, and Diego Costa missed an easy chance before he headed in a Thiago corner for the third some six minutes in to the second half. Silva should have scored again soon afterwards when he volleyed a shot against the upright, and although Refaelov fired one back after Gershon headed a free kick against the post, Isco combined with Costa and Aspas to wrap things up near the end.