Spain beats BosniaHerzegovina 1-0 in friendly match

Spain ended the year with a narrow 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in a friendly game on Sunday.

Newcomer Brais Mendez scored a second-half winner just hours after England had beaten Croatia 2-1 to ruin Spain’s hopes of making it to the final four in the UEFA Nations League tournament.

Following consecutive losses to England and Croatia, Spain needed its rivals to draw at Wembley to stay alive in Europe’s newest competition.

Spain coach Luis Enrique now has four wins and two losses since taking over “La Roja” after the World Cup finals. He made several changes after the 3-2 defeat at Croatia on Thursday and experimented with younger players, including Mendez.

The 21-year-old Celta Vigo midfielder scored from close range in the 78th minute after a low shot by Francisco “Isco” Alarcon was initially saved by Bosnia’s Ibrahim Sehic.

Spain dominated at Gran Canaria Stadium but struggled to capitalize on its scoring opportunities against a Bosnia-Herzegovina team that extended its unbeaten streak to 10 matches and has just gained promotion to the top-tier League A in the Nations League.

Before the game, a ceremony honoured Canary Islands native David Silva, who retired from the national team after the World Cup. Silva entered the field carrying his son Mateo, who was born prematurely in December.