Wales maul Moldova, Spain rout Liechtenstein
WALES talisman Gareth Bale set up the first goal and scored twice, including a late penalty, as the Euro 2016 semi-finalists won 4-0 in their opening Group D World Cup qualifier against Moldova yesterday.
The Welsh, who controlled the match in Cardiff, made the breakthrough seven minutes before half-time when Bale swung over a left-footed cross from the right and Sam Vokes headed home.
Joe Allen made it 2-0 in the 44th after a poor clearance from a corner fell to the midfielder on the edge of the box and he fired past three defenders for his first international goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Bale was quick to latch on to a poor back pass by Ion Jardan and raced into the box to neatly chip past goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu before scoring his 24th Wales goal from the spot with the last kick of the match.
“We know these games are very difficult,” said Bale. “We’ve played teams like this before who are very difficult to break down. We’re learning to cope with this kind of play against us a little better, we’re growing as a team.
“It was an important win for us to get off to a good start. We enjoyed the past, that’s history now. It’s time to make some more,” he added, referring to their run at the Euros in France.
The win put Wales top of the group on goal difference from Austria, who won 2-1 against hosts Georgia in the early kick-off. Ireland drew 2-2 away to Serbia in the other match in the group.
BARCELONA: Spain started their World Cup qualifying campaign with a crushing 8-0 win over Liechtenstein, laying down a marker in Group G with a ruthless second-half display yesterday.
Diego Costa scored his first goal for Spain in almost two years to put Julen Lopetegui’s side ahead in the 10th minute in their first competitive game under their new coach and Sergi Roberto doubled the lead in the 55th.
Costa got his second while David Silva and substitute Alvaro Morata also got braces and Vitolo opened his inter- national account as the former world champions ran riot.
“Sometimes an opponent’s name can fool you but we played a great game,” said Lopetegui. “We reaped in the second half what we had sowed in the first.”
Costa was the focus of the pre-match build-up having netted once in his previous 11 appearances since switching nationalities from Brazil in 2014 and needed only 10 minutes to open the scoring, rising high to head in Koke’s free kick.
The entrance of substitute Nolito for Thiago Alcantara at the start of the second half livened up the home side and it was the Manchester City forward who laid the ball on for Roberto to grab his first international goal.
The floodgates had opened for Spain, the 2010 world champions who lost in the last 16 of this year’s European Championship.
Silva was soon in on the act, adding to his double in the friendly against Belgium last week by turning in Vitolo’s cross from close range.
Barely a minute later, Silva repaid the favour by teeing up the Sevilla forward to mark another impressive display for his country with a goal.
Spain only grew hungrier and Costa wanted another bite. He effortlessly turned two defenders in the area before firing at goalkeeper Peter Jehle’s right foot, calmly nodding in the rebound for the fifth goal.
“Players control their destiny and we just try to help them, but Diego is a great player and he proved it today,” added Lopetegui.
Costa came off to a standing ovation but his replacement Morata threatened to upstage him with two strikes in under a minute, slamming in at the near post before striking the ball past the hapless Jehle from the edge of the area.
Silva had a goal harshly ruled out as stoppage time approached but the City playmaker grabbed his second a minute later with a crisp shot.
ZAGREB: Turkey snatched a precious point against Croatia at the start of 2018 World Cup qualifying in European Group I as the two nations renewed their rivalry with an entertaining 1-1 draw in an empty Maksimir Stadium yesterday.
The Croatians, who beat Turkey 1-0 in a Euro 2016 group stage match, were serving a crowd ban because of an incidents their fans caused in European Championship qualifying.
They hit the crossbar three times in the first half before Ivan Rakitic fired them ahead with a 44th-minute penalty after captain Luka Modric was fouled by a Turkish defender.
But their joy was short-lived as Hakan Calhanoglu drew Turkey level barely a minute later with a free kick from 25m which was deflected by Ivan Perisic and beat stranded goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic.
Croatia pressed forward relentlessly after the break but the Turks, who famously knocked Croatia out on penalties in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, held on thanks to resolute defending and some saves by keeper Volkan Babacan. – Reuters