Euro 2024 qualifier - Lamine Yamal makes history and Morata nets hat-trick as Spain thrash Georgia
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Updated 08/09/2023 at 18:06 GMT
It could hardly have been a more impressive performance from a swaggering Spain side that scored seven goals and could have added further to their tally against Georgia in their Euro 2024 qualifier. Lamine Yamal, at the age of just 16, became his country's youngest ever player - and goalscorer - as he made history on a night he will surely always remember.
Spain's forward Alvaro Morata (L) and Spain's midfielder Fabian Ruiz celebrate a goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying first round group A football match between Georgia and Spain in Tbilisi
Image credit: Getty Images
A rampant Spain ran riot on a history-making night in Tbilisi, as Lamine Yamal became their youngest ever player - and goalscorer - during a 7-1 hammering of Georgia.
Captain Alvaro Morata also grabbed a hat-trick for Luis de la Fuente’s side, but his achievements were overshadowed by the Barcelona wonderkid, who only turned 16 in July.
As expected, the visitors dominated possession and territory early on, but had little to show for it as Marco Asensio, Dani Olmo and Robin Le Normand wasted good chances.
They finally took the lead on 22-minutes when captain Morata nodded home, followed shortly afterwards by Solomon Kvirkvelia diverting Fabian Ruiz’s cross into his own net.
Ruiz then had a goal ruled out for the tightest of offsides, but Spain didn’t have long to wait for a third, netted by Dani Olmo, while Morata added a fourth before the break.
Georgia made a hat-trick of subs at the break, and one of them,Giorgi Chakvetadze, pulled a goal back immediately, although he was helped by a horror error from Unai Simon.
That was as good as it got for the hosts though, who were blown away in the final half hour, with Morata netting his third of the night, and then Nico Williams and Yamal finding the target to round off a comprehensive victory.
TALKING POINT - Yamal makes history
The name Lamine Yamal may not mean too much yet, but it surely will soon after the Barcelona starlet made two pieces of history.
Aged just 16 years and 57 days, the forward comfortably broke Spain’s record for their youngest ever player, previously held by his club teammate Gavi, who was 17 when he made his international bow.
And there was more to come from Yamal, as he scored deep into the second half, capping off a night of history that may never be broken.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Alvaro Morata (Spain). It remains one of life’s great mysteries that it didn’t really work out for the striker in the Premier League, because the superstar is still burning right at the age of 30.
The former Chelsea man, now playing for Atletico Madrid, was at his clinical best, regularly finding pockets of space in the penalty area that the Georgian defence seemed blind to.
There was nothing spectacular about any of his goals, but as usual, his movement and touch just put him a cut above the rest as he bagged a hat-trick before being with an eye on Tuesday’s clash with Cyprus.
PLAYER RATINGS
GEORGIA: Mamardashvili 6; Gocholeishvili 4, Kashia 3, Kverkvelia 5, Azarov 4; Gagnize 5, Aburjania 5, Kiteishvili 4, Lobjanidze 5; Kvaratskhelia 4, Mikautadze 4. Subs: Mekvabishvili 4, Davitashvili 4, Chakvetadze 6, Dvali 4, Sazonov n/a
Subs: Gugeshashvili, Loria, Kalandadze, Mamuchashvili, Kochorashvili,Tsitaishvili, Zivzivadze
SPAIN: Simon 5; Carvajal 7, Le Normand 6, Laporte 6, Gaya 7; Gavi 7, Rodrigo 8, Fabian Ruiz 8; Olmo 7, Morata 9, Asensio 8. Subs: Williams 8, Yamal 8, Merino 8, Joselu 6, Zubimendi 6
Subs: Kepa, Raya, Garcia, Azpilicueta, Torres, Balde, Baena
KEY MOMENTS
22’ GOAL! GEORGIA 0-1 SPAIN (Alvaro Morata). The stadium is silenced! A quite magnificent curling cross from Asensio towards the penalty spot picks out Morata, who gets in between two defenders and powerfully heads home. That was perfection.
28’ GOAL! GEORGIA 0-2 SPAIN (Solomon Kvirkvelia own goal). The floodgates have opened! Spain double their lead through an own goal after Fabian Ruiz swiveled and crossed into the box, only for defender Kvirkvelia to divert past his own goalkeeper
38’ GOAL! GEORGIA 0-3 SPAIN (Dani Olmo). This is becoming a battering! Olmo has one shot closed down by the Georgia defence, but the ball comes straight back into his path and he unleashes a thunderbolt onto the bottom corner. Game over, surely
40’ GOAL! GEORGIA 0-4 SPAIN (Alvaro Morata). Forget a battering, this is now embarrassing! Lovely interplay by Ruiz and Morata, the former feeding the latter, who slots into a practically empty net to double his tally for the night
49’ GOAL! GEORGIA 1-4 SPAIN (Giorgi Chakvetadze). What an impact! Georgia start the half brightly and they pull a goal back as the substitute stabs goalwards. It should be a comfortable save for Simon, who is facing his first shot on target, but the ball goes through him. Lifeline?
66’ GOAL! GEORGIA 1-5 SPAIN (Alvaro Morata). Morata has his hat-trick! The captain is played through by Merino and he fires clinically past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Lovely movement, four goal cushion restored
68’ GOAL! GEORGIA 1-6 SPAIN (Nico Williams). The substitute is on the scoresheet now, working his way into the area and hammering home. This is a rout.
74’ GOAL! GEORGIA 1-7 SPAIN (Lamine Yamal). HISTORY! The 16-year old scores, curling into the far corner after good work by Williams down the left! Incredible!
KEY STATS
- Georgia suffer their heaviest ever defeat as an independent nation, narrowly worse than the 6-1 thrashing to Denmark in 2005
- Spain extend their phenomenal record in European qualifying matches to 30 wins from their last 35 matches, drawing three and losing the other two
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