08.10.2010 23:53
Five Barça in Spain win (3-1)
Roger Bogunyà
Del Bosque’s World Cup winning Spanish team beat Lithuania 3-1 on Friday night, with five Barça players in the starting line up. Llorente (2) and Silva were on target for Spain, with Sernas getting Lithuania’s goal.
The game in Salamanca was Spain’s first since their success in the summer and the win leaves
them top of the group with a maximum six points ahead of Tuesday’s game against Scotland.
Woodwork keeps Spain out
Spain dominated the game from start to finish and with five Barça players in the starting
line up – all the players called up except for Valdes, who was one of the three players left
out of the final squad – they played what has become their typical passing game and soon had
Lithuania pinned back in their half. Ramos hit a post on 20 minutes and just before the break,
Villa did the same when he was one on one with the keeper. The Barça striker gave his ex-Valencia
teammate Stankevicius a torrid time and together with Iniesta was one of the best players on the
night.
Llorente opens up the scoring
The long awaited opener came at the start of the second half when Cazorla’s inch
perfect centre found the towering Llorente, who headed in for his first goal of the night.
Lithuania shocked the locals with an equaliser from a counter attack, but Cazorla and Llorente
again combined for the Navarran striker’s second and Silva wrapped it all up with a third.