Spain smash four goals against Georgia to top Group B

SPAIN came away from Georgia with an emphatic 4-0 win in their Group B qualifier for the Qatar 2022 World Cup

Spain took on Georgia in Badajoz on Sunday, September 5, off the back of their defeat in Stockholm by Sweden, knowing that only a win was enough to keep them on track for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and Luis Enrique’s men did it in style, with a resounding 4-0 win, which could so easily have been a lot higher, putting them back on top of Group B, if only until Sweden play their next match.

In fairness, Georgia didn’t put up much of a fight, and Spain’s coach really took a huge gamble in leaving out some of his senior regulars, as out went Koke, Alvaro Morata, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, and in came Jose Gaya in defence, plus Rodri and Marcos Llorente in midfield, with Pablo Sarabia up front, and it was Jose Luis Gaya who repaid that trust, as he opened the scoring on 14 minutes, when the ball fell to him outside the box, and hos shot flew in off Guram Kashia, with Giorgi Loria totally wrong-footed.

Two more goals followed as Soler latched onto Llorente’s pass in the 25th minute, placing his left-footed shot beyond Loria for 2-0, and then it was Llorente once again using his pace to place a superb ball for Man City’s Ferran Torres to continue his goalscoring exploits for his country, hitting the ball home from six yards, to give the Spanish a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.

Pablo Sarabia continued the rout in the second half, after a 63rd-minute counterattack saw him exchange passes with Pablo Fornals who was on as a sub, to make it 4-0, with Spain coasting, but Georgia should have pulled one back when Georges Mikautadze brought a great save from Unai Simon, who – such was the luxury afforded to Luis Enrique – was replaced by Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, to make his Spain debut.

Next is a trip to Kosove on Wednesday, September 8, where only a win will suffice, but with Aymeric Laporte, and Gaya both picking up injuries, some shuffling will have to be done to the defence again.