Spain vs. Macedonia: Score, Grades and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier
Spain recorded an easy 5-1 win over Macedonia in their first Euro 2016 qualifier, putting together their best and most complete performance since the run-up to the 2014 World Cup.
La Roja dominated from start to finish, as several new players looked to make their mark in the absence of a handful of injured veteran stars.
Sergio Ramos opened the score from the penalty spot after 15 minutes, and as shared by Football Vines, the defender used a cheeky Panenka to put the ball past Tomislav Pacovski:
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"Ramos with a quality Panenka penalty to give Spain the lead https://t.co/Ys15s1Vx3t
— Football Vines (@FootballVines) September 8, 2014"
Making his debut for La Roja, Paco Alcacer slotted into the starting XI like a seasoned veteran. The Valencia youngster linked up perfectly with Spain's army of midfielders and found himself at the end of a beautiful series of passes, doubling the score just minutes after Ramos' penalty.
As shared by 433LIVE, it truly was a stunning goal:
Macedonia started growing into the match as the slow, watered-down pitch hindered Spain's pace, and they pulled one back from the spot after 28 minutes. Juanfran gave the spot kick away, and Agim Ibraimi gave Iker Casillas no chance.
Spain's defence has really struggled of late, as WhoScored.com shares:
The hosts pinned the Macedonians back as the match edged closer to half-time, desperately looking for a third goal. David Silva should have done better after a smart header from Alcacer, but he was denied by Pacovski from close range.
Sergio Busquets finally got the team's deserved third goal deep in extra time, with a long-range strike that took a wicked deflection. Per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, it was his first-ever goal for the national team:
Adis Jahovic came close to scoring for the hosts just minutes after the restart, but Casillas did well to handle his driving strike. The goal fell on the other end of the pitch, as Silva redeemed himself from his earlier miss with an expert finish from a tight angle.
The Macedonian defences now completely gave up hope, giving far too much space to the Spanish out wide. Cesc Fabregas came close to scoring in the 57th minute, but his blistering shot found the bar on its path.
Alcacer was given a well-deserved rest just before the hour mark, making way for Isco. Per ESPN FC's Corrigan, his debut was more than promising:
Spain took their foot off the gas but found a fifth goal on the counter-attack, Pedro Rodriguez adding his name to the scoresheet in extra time. That goal was overshadowed by the debut of Barcelona youngster Munir El Haddadi, who got his first official cap and is therefore no longer eligible to represent Morocco.
Fans gave the team a standing ovation when the final whistle blew, as Monday's performance stood in stark contrast to the disappointing showing at the 2014 World Cup. Spain looked as lively as ever, easily dominating a Macedonian squad that at times looked to be sitting back and enjoying the passing display around them.
Grades
Jodi Alba: A
Busquets and Alcacer certainly deserve mentions when discussing the top performers for Spain, but Jordi Alba's dominance on the left wing was absolutely pivotal to the team's performance.
Most of Spain's danger came from the left, where Alba had the time of his life diving into the spaces every opportunity he got.
Koke: C+
Koke certainly didn't have a bad match, but against an overmatched opponent like Macedonia, you'd expect the Atletico Madrid youngster to do more with the ball. Wasteful in possession, Koke failed to put his mark on the match.
Tomislav Pacovski: B+
The final score wasn't close by any means, but it could have been far worse for Macedonia if it hadn't been for an excellent performance from Pacovski.
The 32-year-old KV Mechelen stopper did everything he could against the defending European champions, and deserves the plaudits for keeping the final score respectable.
Post-Match Reaction
As one would expect, Alcacer was beaming after the match. As shared by Social Spain NT, he was ecstatic to get on the scoresheet:
As shared by Michael Johnson, Vicente Del Bosque also noticed the excellent performance of the youngster:
"Del Bosque: "Paco Alcácer met the expectations. Moved well & scored". Why sub him off after 55min then?! #LaRoja pic.twitter.com/uP5qWIlZjP
— Michael Jacobsen (@VCF_Nordic) September 8, 2014"
He commented on La Masia graduate El Haddadi as well, indicating he intends to follow his development closely, via Barcastuff:
"Del Bosque (coach ESP): "It's a joy for us that Munir could make his debut at 19. Now we have to see how he does at his club." #fcblive
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) September 8, 2014"
On the result, Del Bosque told AS (h/t to Football Espana) it was important for the team to rediscover their credibility:
"We know we lost credibility at the World Cup and we have to go and recover that and we do that on the field, playing well and scoring points for Euro 2016."
Spain looked excellent in their opener against Macedonia, and they face fixtures against Slovakia and Luxembourg next. While tiny Luxembourg should hardly present a threat, Slovakia shocked Ukraine with a 1-0 win on Matchday 1.
Three points against the Slovakians would give La Roja an early lead in Group C, paving the road toward qualification for Euro 2016.
