Goals: Spain—Morata 28'
Recap: Ninety minutes of international football saw Spain defeat Ukraine 1-0 on Friday.
Spain's iconic build-up yielded nothing in the opening moments of the match, but paid dividends in the 28th minute. A piercing ball, followed by an even better finish from Alvaro Morata, gifted the hosts a 1-0 lead entering the break. Chances, however, were few and far between in the second half. If not for the heroics of Iker Casillas in goal, La Furia Roja would've conceivably dropped points in Seville.
The result pushes Spain to 12 points in Group C.
Key Moment: Ukraine had ample opportunities to equalize in the second half, none greater than Ruslan Rotan's effort in the 67th minute. Unfortunately for the 33-year-old, Casillas was able to parry the shot to safety.
Man of the Match: Even with the likes of Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Koke on the pitch, there were times Isco looked otherworldly. The 22-year-old finished with five take-ons and two tackles.
Lesson Learned: Spain's crop of center forwards isn't where it needs to be to challenge for the 2016 European Cup. After subbing off Morata, head coach Vicente del Bosque opted for Pedro. The 27-year-old, though successful during his tenure at Barcelona, is not and never will be a No. 9. His first few touches were unsuccessful, gifting possession back to Ukraine. Admittedly, Diego Costa was forced to miss the contest due to injury, but even he has failed to impress since switching from Brazil. After a lackluster second half, Spain still need the assassin required to finish the chances created from midfield.
Up Next: Spain travel to Amsterdam to face the Netherlands in a friendly on Mar. 31, while Ukraine hosts Lithuania.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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