adminPARIS. – Title holders Spain and England boosted morale after their World Cup soccer meltdowns when they started Euro 2016 qualifying with victories on Monday night.
Valencia forward Paco Alcacer scored Spain’s second on his debut and set up Sergio Busquets for the 3-1 scoreline, with Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Pedro adding the other goals in a big 5-1 win over Macedonia in Group C.
England grabbed an important 2-0 win in their Group E opener in Switzerland from Danny Welbeck’s double. In Group G, the 2018 World Cup hosts Russia beat Liechtenstein 4-0 and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden drew 1-1 in Austria.
Spain went out in the group stage at the recent World Cup in Brazil as holders, and lost a friendly in France last week, but got back on track in Valencia.
Silva – well supported by Cesc Fabregas – was the star of the show in Valencia, taking on the midfield leadership role vacated by veterans Xavi and Xabi Alonso, both of whom retired from La Roja after the World Cup group stage meltdown.
Silva was pulled down in the 16th minute for a penalty that defender Ramos calmly converted.
Just two minutes later, right-back Juanfran centred for Alcacer to score his first goal for Spain.
“It was wonderful to score my first international goal tonight, just wonderful. And in my hometown . . . This is a beautiful team with great quality,” Alcacar said.
Ibraimi quickly pulled a goal back for Macedonia from a disputed penalty, but Busquets made it 3-1 just before the interval, before the majestic Silva added a fourth and set up Pedro for the late fifth.
Coach Vicente del Bosque brought Barcelona teenager Munir off the subs’ bench with 15 minutes left to make his full international debut, thereby killing off the hopes that Morocco had of persuading the teenager to play for them. The big win put Spain top of the group, ahead of Slovakia who won 1-0 at troubled 2012 hosts Ukraine courtesy of a well-taken goal by Robert Mak.
Luxembourg and Belarus drew 1-1.
Like Spain, England didn’t survive the World Cup group stage and faced a Swiss team which had taken eventual finalists Argentina to extra-time in the last 16. The recently-signed Arsenal striker, Welbeck finished off a fine break involving captain Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling on 58 minutes and sealed the win in injury time with a well-taken second. Joe Hart made a good save from Haris Seferovic just before Welbeck’s opener and Gary Cahill produced a timely goal-line clearance but England were good value for their three points.
“We defended well as a team and took our chances, catching them on the break with the speed we had been hoping to show,” Rooney told ITV.
“It was a happy performance from us.”
Manager Roy Hodgson, who fielded Jordan Henderson and Fabian Delph, said:
“I thought the way the players approached the game from the first minute was exactly what we wanted. And we got our reward.”
England lead the group along with Lithuania, who won 2-0 in San Marino, while Estonia beat 10-man Slovenia 1-0. In Khimki near Moscow, Russia shook off their World Cup group stage elimination with victory against Liechtenstein. – AFP.
Online Reporter