Spain coast to Liechtenstein win
World champions ease to victory over minnows
Last Updated: September 4, 2010 2:13pm
Torres: Struck twice
Spain began the defence of their European Championship crown with a convincing 4-0 win over Liechtenstein in Vaduz.
The World Cup winners bossed the encounter over their Group I opponents and Vicente del Bosque's side could have cantered home with a bigger winning margin.
Spain started brightly and forced the first opening of the match within the opening three minutes when Andres Iniesta forced home goalkeeper Peter Jehle into a smart save.
Jehle was then alert to thwart David Villa, who was left unmarked and it did not take long for the deadlock to be broken when Fernando Torres chipped home with 18 minutes gone.
Torres underwent two knee operations in the first four months of the year and also suffered an adductor injury in July's World Cup final, and club side Liverpool do not expect the 26-year-old to be back to peak fitness for another month.
No rustiness
However, the former Atletico Madrid man showed little sign of rustiness as Spain continued to dominate as Villa doubled the advantage with a stunning 25-yard strike into the roof of the net.
Liechtenstein finally showed signs of life as Franz Burgmeier tried his luck from outside the area to test Iker Casillas.
The hosts provided Spain with another scare when Casillas was forced to dash from his goal, but Philippe Erne could not apply the finish.
Normal service resumed thereafter as Torres added his second of the night from Cesc Fabregas' pass in the 54th minute, driving a low shot in at the near post.
Torres made way for Silva, who needed just five minutes before making it 4-0, also firing at the near post as Del Bosque's side maintained their impressive form.
Tables
European Championship Qualifying Group A
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 30 |
| 2 | Turkey | 10 | 17 |
| 3 | Belgium | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Austria | 10 | 12 |
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 7 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group B
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 10 | 23 |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland | 10 | 21 |
| 3 | Armenia | 10 | 17 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 10 | 15 |
| 5 | Macedonia | 10 | 8 |
| 6 | Andorra | 10 | 0 |
European Championship Qualifying Group C
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 10 | 26 |
| 2 | Estonia | 10 | 16 |
| 3 | Serbia | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Slovenia | 10 | 14 |
| 5 | Northern Ireland | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | Faroe Islands | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group D
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 10 | 21 |
| 2 | Bosnia | 10 | 20 |
| 3 | Romania | 10 | 14 |
| 4 | Belarus | 10 | 13 |
| 5 | Albania | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group E
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 10 | 27 |
| 2 | Sweden | 10 | 24 |
| 3 | Hungary | 10 | 19 |
| 4 | Finland | 10 | 10 |
| 5 | Moldova | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | San Marino | 10 | 0 |
European Championship Qualifying Group F
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | 10 | 24 |
| 2 | Croatia | 10 | 22 |
| 3 | Israel | 10 | 16 |
| 4 | Latvia | 10 | 11 |
| 5 | Georgia | 10 | 10 |
| 6 | Malta | 10 | 1 |
European Championship Qualifying Group G
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 8 | 18 |
| 2 | Montenegro | 8 | 12 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Wales | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 8 | 5 |
European Championship Qualifying Group H
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 8 | 19 |
| 2 | Portugal | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Norway | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Iceland | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | Cyprus | 8 | 2 |
European Championship Qualifying Group I
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 8 | 24 |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 8 | 13 |
| 3 | Scotland | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 8 | 5 |
| 5 | Liechtenstein | 8 | 4 |
