Spain 5-0 Slovakia: Cava uncorked for Lucho in baking Seville

Spain uncorked themselves, just how Luis Enrique wanted. It looked like it was going to be another frustrating afternoon in baking Sevilla heat, when Koke was fouled and Alvaro Morata took a poor pen, saved by Martin Dubravka.

However La Roja’s day turned for the better and Slovakia’s stopper turned for the worse. Significantly worse.

After Pablo Saraba hit the crossbar from distance, the Newcastle goalkeeper turned around and waited for the ball to drop, before spiking it into his own net. It was one of the worst own goals for quite some time, and also somehow the seventh of the tournament.

The eighth followed in the second half thanks to Slovakia’s insistently inept display, but there was time for Pedri to shine first.

The Barcelona midfielder, linking up with his superb club team-mate Sergio Busquets, back from Covid, put on a midfield masterclass.

Aymeric Laporte doubled La Roja’s lead with his first goal for the country from Gerard Moreno’s cross, shortly before half-time, but it was Pedri’s dropping through ball that made the situation possible.

Pablo Sarabia made it three 10 minutes into the second half as Spain moved through the gears, and Ferran Torres netted with a fine backheel moments after coming on from the bench for Morata.

The Juventus forward will be frustrated not to have netted but nobody was on his back after this big victory.

Kucka put through his own net to finish the rout, under pressure from substitute Pau Torres. Spain are through and play Croatia in the next phase in Copenhagen.