Spain launches under-21 generation with a ‘set’ to Malta
Two goals from Gabri Veiga guide the victory (0-6) at the start of qualification for the 2025 European Championship
MADRID, 8 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s soccer team won this Friday by a resounding 0-6 against Malta during matchday 1 of the qualifying phase for the next European Under-21 Championship, which will be held in the summer of 2025 in Slovakia.
Within Group B, the team led by Santi Denia had its first generation of footballers for this event, although all under the leadership of Pablo Barrios in the midfield and with the flashes of Gabri Veiga in the midfield.
In fact, both ‘veterans’ were in charge of leading to the comfortable victory at the Tony Bezzina Stadium in the municipality of Paola. Diego López opened the scoring with a header in the 5th minute and a cross from Ilias Akomach from the right wing.
Gabri Veiga extended the lead after a quarter of an hour, coming off a corner, with a bitten left foot and benefiting from a poor start by the rival goalkeeper. Almost immediately afterwards, Veiga himself made it 0-3 with a right foot inside the area, after a pass from Álvaro Fernández.
After the break, Akomach scored the fourth Spanish goal thanks to a left-footed shot that hit the far post and slipped into the goal at mid-height. Pablo Torre scored the ‘manita’ in the 70th minute, after Iván Azón did not head a Fran Pérez cross from the right well.
Almost immediately, Beñat Turrientes closed the win, finishing off a pass from Hugo Novoa at point-blank range after he had rushed the baseline. The Maltese team was shaken by its opponent at all times and could not bother Spain.
In this way, the current European Under-21 runners-up began their route to another final phase peacefully. Three points in the bag for Santi Denia’s pupils, who will face Scotland on matchday 2 on September 11 (9:00 p.m.).
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: MALTA, 0 – SPAIN, 6 (0-3, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS:
MALTA: Sacco; Vassallo, Matthew Ellul, Matthias Ellul, Hili (N.Micallef, min.75); Garzia, Bondin (J.Micallef, min.65), A.Borg, Veselji (Engerer, min.65); Tuma (B.Borg, min.75) and Zammit (Sciberras, min.87).
SPAIN: Cuñat; Martínez (Novoa, min.56), Francés, Marín (Bajcetic, min.65), Fernández; Barrios, Turrientes (War, min.72), Veiga (Fran Pérez, min.56); Akomach (Torre, min.56), Diego López and Azón.
–GOALS.
0-1, min.5: Diego López.
0-2, min.14: Veiga.
0-3, min.18: Veiga.
0-4, min.49: Akomach.
0-5, min.70: Torre.
0-6, min.72: Turrientes.
–REFEREE: Lionel Tschudi (SUI). He yellow carded A.Borg (min.42) and Hili (min.75) in Malta.
— STADIUM: Tony Bezzina, en Paola.