Spain are yet to drop any points in World Cup Qualifying, after they hammered Belgium at the Riazor.
David Silva and David Villa scored twice, along with Gerard Pique, to complete a sensational performance for La Furia Roja.
Vicente Del Bosque made his intentions clear by pairing Villa with Fernando Torres in attack, while Sergi Busquets replaced his Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta in midfield. Belgium, meanwhile, chose Moussa Dembele up front, with the likes of Marouane Fellaini supporting him.
As expected, La Furia Roja were swiftly out of the blocks, and Villa came close after eight minutes, when he shot wide from the edge of the box, after being set up by Xabi Alonso. The Valencia forward was a constant threat, and was unlucky not to open the scoring minutes later when his shot was cleared off the line, after he had pounced on a knockdown from Busquets.
Spain were getting ever closer, as Torres hit a decent shot that scraped the post, and El Nino had another chance after being played through by a sublime through ball from Xavi, but he shot wide under pressure from Timmy Simons.
A goal seemed inevitable, and everyone inside the Riazor celebrated when the woeful Anthony Vanden Borre impeded Villa inside the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. El Guaje stepped up, but his penalty straight down the middle was a tame effort, and Gillet did well to keep it out with his feet.
The trouble was only just beginning for Belgium though, as the impressive Jan Vertonghen had to be withdrawn through injury. Torres then saw another shot brush the woodwork, but just when it looked as though the visitors might escape unscathed from the first half, Silva struck.
Receiving a superb through ball from Villa, Silva unleashed a precise shot straight into the bottom corner, given the hosts a well deserved lead going into the break.
Belgium needed a vast improvement to get back into the game, but their chances were all but eradicated almost as soon as the half began.
First, the protagonists for the first goal combined again, as Silva picked out Villa on the left, who cut inside before smashing an unstoppable shot into the far right hand corner.
The Riazor crowd were all off their seats, and they did not have time to sit down before the ball was back in the Belgian net. This time it came from an unlikely source, as Pique found himself in nosebleed territory near the penalty spot, and he made no mistake to tuck Villa's cutback away.
After scoring the third, Spain settled down, content just to pass it amongst themselves, as the "ole's" rang out from the crowd. With 25 minutes remaining, Del Bosque withdrew Torres, replacing him with Albert Riera. Seconds later, the home side had yet another goal.
Breaking down the right in acres of space, Alvaro Arbeloa cut the ball back to Silva, who let fly with yet another blockbuster that found its way into the bottom right hand corner of Belgium's net.
With twenty minutes remaining, Cesc Fabregas entered the fray, replacing Xavi. Spain were still hungry for more goals, and Xabi Alonso tested Gillet with a rasping drive that was well saved by the young custodian.
Fabregas was making an immediate impression, and he nearly added the fifth with a stunning strike from distance, which the impressive Gillet kept out with a sprawling save.
With five minutes remaining, Del Bosque made his final switch, bringing Raul Albiol on for Arbeloa. It looked as though the match would meander to a conclusion, but there was still time for a symbolic fifth.
Receiving the ball in midfield, Xabi Alonso picked out Fabregas, who had beaten the offside trap, with a perfect pass. The Arsenal captain was then left with the simple task of squaring it to Villa, who stroked home into the empty net.
Thus Spain maintain their perfect record, and, depending on other results, they may have the chance to seal qualification with a win against Estonia in midweek.
Source:
goal.com