Macedonia vs. Spain: Score and Reaction from Euro 2016 Qualifier

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Spain beat Macedonia in their Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday, a snoozefest La Roja easily controlled thanks to an early lead.

A failed cross that looped over the goalkeeper was enough to give Spain the win, and with Slovakia only managing a draw against Ukraine, Spain now lead Group C by two points with just two matches left to play.

There were few positives to take away from Tuesday's clash, which saw more rash tackles than actual chances, but at this point, qualification for next year's tournament is all that matters. Spain have all but booked their ticket for Euro 2016, which is the only thing worth remembering from this match.    

As reported by La Liga blogger Sergi Dominguez, Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea started the match for Spain, and Dominguez was excited to see what La Roja's midfield could accomplish against Macedonia:

As expected, the defending European Champions enjoyed the majority of possession, although their passing wasn't exactly crisp. Too many balls went flying into the stands or well out of reach of their intended targets, and there was little depth to the Spanish attack.

Isco was the player most intent on playing between the lines, but Diego Costa failed to detach from his defender whenever the ball came close to him. The opening phase of the match passed without any major incidents or chances until Mata scored out of nowhere with a fluky goal.

Intending to play a cross into the box, the Manchester United man instead lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Tomislav Pacovski. The ball struck the post and bounced back out, right into the shoulder of the unfortunate stopper and into the net.

Goal's Ben Hayward didn't believe for a second that was intentional:

Paddy Power took a shot at Mata's current club, United:

Intentional or not, the goal stood and gave the visitors a quick 1-0 lead, meaning Macedonia would have to come forward. Costa tried to go solo when he was finally given a little space on the counter, but his shot could only find the side netting.

The hosts were able to put a surprising amount of pressure on the Spanish ball-cariers with their high press in the first 20 minutes, but as the first half went on, La Roja started getting more and more comfortable with their style of play. David Silva nearly tested the goalkeeper with an angled drive, but a defender managed to get his foot in front of the ball just in time.

De Gea didn't actually handle the ball until the 26th minute, when he plucked a cross out of the sky, but to their credit, Macedonia didn't give the visitors too much to work with either.

Visibly frustrated, Costa needlessly shoved one of the Macedonians and earned himself a yellow card and suspension. Per Mail Sport's Oliver Todd, that's right in line with how his international career has played out so far:

"

Diego Costa's great start to his Spain career continues. Booked and now misses their next qualifier.

— Oliver Todd (@oliver_todd) September 8, 2015"

Gerard Pique thought his team should have been given a penalty when he felt he was pulled down going for a header, but the official opted to give the foul to Macedonia instead. In turn, Mirko Ivanovski claimed Sergio Ramos struck him in the face, but he too couldn't fool the official.

The match lost all pace as both teams started needlessly fouling each other and play-acting, but minutes before half-time, Dani Carvajal nearly copied Mata's effort, lifting a cross over Pacovski and onto the crossbar. That would be the final chance of the first half, with the score 1-0 at half-time.

The second half started with yet another booking, this time for Sergio Busquets, who took down Ferhan Hasani. The winger tried his luck with the ensuing free-kick, but, per Macedonian Football, he couldn't keep his effort on target:

Macedonia didn't hold back one bit in the duels, and the amount of play-acting that took place from the hosts was frankly ridiculous given their aggressive playing style. Vladica Brdarovski rolled all over the pitch and received extensive treatment, claiming Silva kicked him in the face, but replays showed no contact whatsoever.

In between the constant fouling and play-acting, there was little room for actual football. Vance Sikov produced a brilliant tackle to stop a surging Carvajal, blocking one the few promising attacks early in the second half.

The hosts started applying more pressure once again, and Hasani twice came close to unleashing a shot, only to be denied by the defence each time. Meanwhile, Spain manager Vicente del Bosque had seen enough of Costa, per author Sid Lowe:

Paco Alcacer gave La Roja a minor boost when he entered the pitch—but only just. The Macedonian defence was on point all night, frustrating the visitors, and when Alcacer did finally manage to put the ball in the net, he was judged to be offside.

The Spanish pressure intensified in the final 10 minutes, and Carvajal nearly found Koke to give the visitors a two-goal lead. But it didn't look as if the second goal was needed, as Macedonia did little to trouble De Gea. After a rather disappointing 90 minutes, La Roja went home with a 1-0 win, and that's all fans should take from this match.

Spain's next match should be a routine home test against lowly Luxembourg, who have won just one match so far and can no longer qualify for Euro 2016. While no team should be overlooked, Luxembourg have nothing left to play for and shouldn't trouble La Roja too much.

They'll play Ukraine just a few days later, but by that time, qualification for Euro 2016 should already be in the bag. 

Post-Match Reaction

As reported by AS, De Gea finally addressed the media after the match, speaking on both the controversy of the past few weeks, with his move to Real Madrid falling through at the last second, as well as Tuesday's match:

"

I felt good. I was really keen to play. Now I have to keep working hard and see if I get some luck with my club. The support I have received has been really important. I have some wonderful team-mates and I am really appreciate everyone's support.

My future is the same as [the present]: to be relaxed, to continue working and improving, to enjoy football... I am happy.

We knew it was going to be a difficult game and it was. It's not easy playing here at this ground. Juan scored a good goal and we have picked up three really important points.

"

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