DIEGO COSTA BAGGED his first goal for Spain as the champions got the defence of their European title back on track with a 4-0 win over minnows Luxembourg in Euro 2016 qualifying Group C on Sunday.
The goals came from David Silva and Paco Alcacer in the first half, with Costa snatching the third on 69 minutes, while substitute Juan Bernat made it 4-0 with a debut goal on 87 minutes.
Spain, who lost to Slovakia on Thursday, are now second on goal difference in Group C on six points from three games, with Ukraine, also on six points, in third.
Slovakia’s 3-1 away win at Belarus left them top with nine points from three.
Silva got the opener when he latched on to an uncharacteristic long ball out of defence after 27 minutes. The 21-year-old Valencia striker Alcacer doubled the tally with his third goal in three games for Spain just before half-time.
Costa, in his seventh match for Spain had missed a hatful on the night before he swivelled to fire home from close range to the visible relief of the whole team.
The Brazilian-born Costa has been on fire in England with nine Premier League goals for Chelsea this season, but that was his first goal in seven for Spain.
Bernat, a Bayern Munich left-back, will also have given Spain reason to smile as a younger generation emerges to refresh their ageing squad.
Eyebrows were raised before tha game when Spain handler Vicente Del Bosque dropped the under-performing ‘keeper Iker Casillas, the 33-year-old with whom Spain won Euro 2008 and 2012 plus the 2010 World Cup, in favour of Manchester United stopper David de Gea.
For his part de Gea had little to do, but was assured on the few occasions he was called upon.
This week’s international results in full
Group C
Ukraine 1 (Sydorchuk 45+2) Macedonia 0
Belarus 1 (Kalachev 79) Slovakia 3 (Hamsik 65, 84, Sestak 90+1)
Luxembourg 0 Spain 4 (Silva 27, Alcacer 42, Costa 69, Bernat 88)
Group E
Estonia 0 England 1 (Rooney 73)
Lithuania 0 Slovenia 2 (Novakovic 33, 37)
Group G
Russia 1 (Dzyuba 73-pen) Moldova 1 (Epureanu 74)
Austria 1 (Okotie 24) Montenegro 0
Sweden 2 (Zengin 34, Dumaz 46) Liechtenstein 0
Group D
Republic of Ireland 7 (Keane 6, 14, 18-pen, McClean 46, 53, J. Perez 52-og, Hoolahan 56) Gibraltar 0
Scotland 1 (Khubutia 28-og) Georgia 0
Poland 2 (Milik 51, Mila 88) Germany 0
Group F
Romania 1 (Rusescu 45) Hungary 1 (Dzsudzsak 82)
Finland 1 (Hurme 55) Greece 1 (Karelis 24)
Northern Ireland 2 (McAuley 6, K. Lafferty 21) Faroe Islands 0
Group I
Armenia 1 (Arzumanyan 73) Serbia 1 (Z. Tosic 90)
Albania 1 (Lenjani 38) Denmark 1 (Vibe 81)
Group A
Latvia 0 Iceland 3 (G. Sigurdsson 66, A. Gunnarsson 77, Gislason 90)
Netherlands 3 (Huntelaar 62, Afellay 82, van Persie 89-pen) Kazakhstan 1 (Abdulin 17)
Turkey 1 (Umut Bulut 8) Czech Republic 2 (Sivok 15, Dockal 58)
Group B
Belgium 6 (De Bruyne 31-pen, 34, Chadli 37, Origi 59, Mertens 65, 68) Andorra 0
Cyprus 1 (Makridis 67) Israel 2 (Damari 38, Ben Haim 45)
Wales 0 Bosnia and Hercegovina 0
Group H
Bulgaria 0 Croatia 1 (Olic 36)
Italy 2 (Chiellini 44, 82) Azerbaijan 1 (Chiellini 77-og)
Malta 0 Norway 3 (Daehli 22, King 26, 49)
Group C
Belarus 0 Ukraine 2 (Martynovich 82-og, Sydorchuk 90+3)
Macedonia 3 (Trajkovski 20, Jahovic 66-pen, Abdurahim 90+2) Luxembourg 2 (Bensi 39, Turpel 44)
Slovakia 2 (Kucka 17, Stoch 87) Spain 1 (Paco Alcacer 82)
Group E
England 5 (Jagielka 25, Rooney 43-pen, Welbeck 49, Townsend 72, Della Valle 78-og) San Marino 0
Lithuania 1 (Mikoliunas 76) Estonia 0
Slovenia 1 (Novakovic 79-pen) Switzerland 0
Group G
Liechtenstein 0 Montenegro 0
Moldova 1 (Dedov 27-pen) Austria 2 (Alaba 12-pen, Janko 51)
