Spain 3-0 Turkey: Match report, result, Group D Euro 2016
Match report as Spain crush Turkey in Euro 2016 Group D at Stade de Nice. Iniesta man of the match, Morata bags a brace, Nolito get his first competitive international goal.
Spain set out a statement of intent on Friday evening as they stuffed opponents Turkey 3-0 in their Group D match at Stade de Nice.
Majestic Iniesta
It was yet another mesmerising performance from Spain's master puppeteer Andrés Iniesta, pulling all the strings in the middle of the park in a man of the match performance.
Morata and Nolito shine
Well worked goals came from strikers Álvaro Morata, who bagged a brace, and 29 year old Nolito, who scored his first competitive goal for his country.
The win guaranteed a spot for La Roja in the second round and they now face Croatia on Tuesday in a crunch decider for Group D top spot.
As it happened:
90+2 min | FULL TIME - Spain 3-0 Turkey. That's it. It's all over and Spain have made a clear statement tonight. A wonderful performance and the best show put on by any team yet (as well as the highest winning margin)
90 min | Two minutes added time to play
87 min | Olcay Sahan is played clean through, he has to score...only De Gea to beat...but he absolutley fluffs it. Not Turkey's night, tonight.
84 min | Spain are absolutely cruising now and on track for the biggest win of a relatively low scoring Euro 2016 so far.
81 min | SUB: Final swap for Spain and it's Alba that makes way. He's put in an impressive shift tonight. A constant danger down the left and can be pleased with his assist. Azpilicueta comes on for his European Championships debut.
75 min | Turkey rallying and trying hard to get something out of this, albeit a consolation goal. Just not much quality in the final third though, and you have to say, David De Gea hasn't been called into action once.
70 min | SUBS: Koke on for Cesc. Yunus Malli replaces Selcuk for Turkey in what is their final change. Last roll of the dice you might say, but this game's already over.
66 min | Pace of the game has dropped off notably now. There's a lot more space opening up and you feel there might be another goal or two left in this match for the double-reigning champions. And Bruno almost get its. He takes a pop from 30 yards and Babacan is down well to palm it away.
63 min | SUB: And that's Silva's last contribution. He makes way for Bruno.
60 min | Chance! Double chance! Silva pokes wide via a deflection. Corner comes in and Silva finds space in the box with some silky footwork. However he shoots wide again through a crowd of players, this time without the help of a Turkish foot.
53 min | Turkey are coming back strongly from going three down. But it's a long, long way back now. You have to say Spain look like doing things in this tournament after a rather underwhelming opening win against the Czechs.
49 min | Oh hang on...rare chance here for Turkey. Yilmaz weaves his way around Ramos in the box and he's got a good sight of goal. Tries to bend it spectacularly into the top corner but it goes spectacularly high and wide instead.
46 mins | GOAL! 3-0 Spain. It's that man Iniesta who's pulling the strings again. He slides a wonderful ball through to Alba (who looks suspiciously offside) and he unselfishly squares it to Morata who taps in for his second. The young man is on a hat-trick and Spain have started this half as they ended the first. Devastatingly.
45 min | Peep! And we're back underway.
HALF TIME: Well, well. It looked like Turkey were going to be very hard to break down after 25 minutes, but Spain clicked into beast mode all of a sudden there. You know who to invite round to christmas this year, don't you? You just sit back with a nice glass of sherry and let your old friends Iniesta and Cesc carve Turkey open with consumate ease. Okay, okay. No more bird puns for the second half. Promise! Seriously though that was blinding stuff from Spain. I fear for Fatih Terim's men over this next 45 minutes.
45 min | Spain plucking Turkey apart. Morata breaks down the right and it's two on two. He tries to thread it through to Nolito but the execution is poor this time. And that's half time folks. And... breathe. What a half of football!
44 min | The way this game is going at the moment, Turkey are looking prime for a stuffing (ahem). I'll get my coat.
41 min | Iniesta dances around Tufan on the left of the penalty area, and he cynically pulls the little magician down. Yellow card. Free-kick comes in but Turkey live to fight another day. They're on the ropes a bit now...
37 min | ANOTHER. 2-0! It's two in two minutes. Fabregas dinks the ball over the top and Topal heads it up, behind, and straight into the path of Nolito. He stretches out a leg and sends it passed the helpless Babacan.
35 min | GOAL!! And it's Morata! Great glancing header. Alba plays the ball back to Nolito who swings a delicious ball onto Morata's newly shaven cranium. He guides it into the top corner unmarked, and it's 1-0, ladies and gents.
31 min | Spain really haven't got into their usual clockwork rhythm at all, but that seems more down to Turkey's tireless chasing and pressing more than anything else. Spain attack down the right though this time and Juanfran rolls it into Morata. Again a Turkey defender is there and Morata can only scuff wide under pressure.
29 min | Iniesta feeds Nolito after some patient build up and he curls one from the D which looks to be sailing into the far corner. Alas, no. Just wide.
27 min | Free-kick to Turkey in a dangerous area. It's Calhanoglu who stand over it, but once again the forward puts too much on it and it sails over halmlessly.
24 min | Ball falls to Calhanoglu who whacks the ball high over the crossbar from 25 yards. Spain go straight up the other end and Jordi Alba's cross is headed away. Alba looking Spain's main threat so far down the left...
20 min | The pace has slowed down a bit now after a frantic first 15 minutes. Turkey look well up for this though. They're a rough looking sort and are disturbing Spain's passing game well.
16 min | Turkey getting their foot on the ball more now and looking to build some pressure of their own. Possesion given away too cheaply though and Spain play keep ball again. They're quite good at doing that, aren't they?
11 min | Spain attack down the left, Jordi Alba finds some space in behind and sends a teasing cross in for Morata, who heads it down into the ground bringing out another save from Babacan. The resulting corner finds Pique free, but he heads over the bar. Chance that!
10 min | Yilmaz gives a rugby-style hand off in the face of Busquets! Busquets, unsuprisingly, falls over. Yellow card Yilmaz. Probably deserved.
9 min | Spain getting a foothold on the game now and applying some early pressure, but nothing in the way of clear cut chances just yet.
7 min | Morata tries his luck right footed from outside the box and brings out a save from Babacan at his near post.
4 min | Spain win a corner, which Nolito takes short. It's whipped in but Turkey head away. Very fast pace to this game so far...
1 min | Yellow Card - Sergio Ramos pulls down Yilmaz and goes straight into the book. The resulting attacking free-kick is headed straight out by Turkey though. Ramos will have to behave for another 89 minutes now...
0 min | Spain roll the ball off the spot, and we are underway! Hold tight.
Anthems: And here comes the Spain anthem. With no words. Not sure how an instrumental ever gets you fired up...
In case you were wondering, the Turkish national anthem symbolises freedom, and faith, as well as praise for the virtues of hope, devotion, and sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty. Well that's cleared that up then.
5 minutes to kick off! Get excited, the teams are walking. Game faces on and everything. Here come the anthems...
Team news: Spain unchanged
The teams are in and Spain are unchanged, unbelievably, for the first time in 52 games.
The Spain XI is as follows: De Gea; Juanfran, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Cesc, Iniesta; Silva, Morata, Nolito
Turkey: Babacan; Gonul, Topal, Balta, Erkin; Tufan, Inan, Ozyakup; Calhanoglu, Yilmaz, Turan.
Referee: Milorad Mazi (Ser)
Preview: Spain-Turkey Euro 2016
The French Riviera is the setting for the second group game for Vicente del Bousque's men against an always difficult opponent in Turkey. A win in Nice will secure a mathematical last 16 place for 'La Roja' with Turkey needing points to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive. Spain's objective is top Group D an avoid the other pre-tournament favorites until the semi final.
Spain
After a solid Group D debut game, optimism has returned to te Spanish camp as Del Bosque's side dominated proceedings against Czech Republic and that lack of shots on target was the only criticism aimed at "La Roja".
An impressive performance in Toulouse from Iniesta, Nolito, Ramos and Silva combined with the late goal from an unlikely outlet in Gerard Pique have seen Spain remain as one of the favourites to secure a historic third consecutive European Championship title
Tonight Del Bosque will look to Busquets to govern the midfield in a defensive capacity with Morata expected to lead the line again. No changes are expected in the goalkeeping position with De Gea retaining his place.
Turkey
Fatih Terim's side started off the tournament with a 1-0 loss to Croatia in a rugged contest in Paris last Sunday. Questions were raised about their game-plan as the Turks need to secure at least a point against the reigning holders to keep their tournament dreams intact.
Arda Turan acknowledged that he needs to raise his game and along with other key Turkish players, Topal, Babacan and Burak Yilmaz they have vowed to produce a more inspiring performance against Spain on the south coast of France.
A key match awaits in Nice and one which will go some way in determining the outlook of this competitive group in Euro 2016 which also includes Croatia and Czech Republic.