It began in Scotland and it nonetheless hasn't completed but. That evening at Hampden was solely Luis de le Fuente's second as Spain coach; it additionally felt prefer it is perhaps his final. Two Scott McTominay targets defeated the seleccion however whereas nearly everybody else thought his spell could be temporary, he was speaking a few pathway opening and right here's the factor: the person accused of dwelling in Disneyland again then was proper. Three years and 4 days later, Spain moved to inside touching distance the World Cup, and in addition racked up their twenty ninth consecutive aggressive sport unbeaten*, equalling the file.
On an evening when Pedri performed and Mikel Merino made the distinction, Spain beat Bulgaria 4-0 to take them to 12 factors from 12 in qualifying, shut now. The Arsenal midfielder and someday striker scored the primary two and might need obtained his second hat-trick in three Spain video games however when he was fouled within the final minute he handed the penalty to Mikel Oyarzabal as a substitute. And so it was the Actual Sociedad striker, scorer of the winner on the last of Euro 2024, who saved the sequence going, equalling what Vicente del Bosque's golden technology did between 2010 and 2013.
Now, you'll have observed the asterisk there, and rightly. FIFA may not rely it as a defeat, however on this run Spain did lose as soon as – 7-5 on penalties to Portugal within the last of the Nations League again in June. But formally at the very least, this workforce has matched that one in opposition to which all Spain sides are measured. Win in Georgia in a month and the file can be theirs alone. En route they received the Nations League in 2023, the European Championships in 2024 and reached a Nations League last in 2025; they head in direction of 2026 ranked No. 1, among the many favourites once more, identical to outdated occasions.
This was “solely” Bulgaria, it's true, simply because it was solely Georgia, Bulgaria, and Turkey earlier than them however that's 4 wins out of 4, combination rating 15-0. There have been two moments instantly after the seleccion obtained their first two targets – the third was an personal objective – however in the end their opponents had not been allowed a single shot heading in the right direction. The whole rely ran: 33-3, Spain recognisably Spain. Bulgaria's coach had admitted the one goal his workforce might have was to carry out so long as they might. Because it turned out, that was 33 minutes, and Merino's header was Spain's 18th try heading in the right direction already.
This was about all of them, however on the coronary heart of it was Pedri, all over the place and nowhere directly: all over the place for Spain, nowhere for Bulgaria, unable to detect him as he flitted by way of them. He accomplished 101 passes by the point he was withdrawn to a standing ovation on 66 minutes, and his have been the moments of biggest subtlety, the best touches and probably the most incisive too.
When the José Zorrilla chanted his title halfway the opening interval, he had simply slipped unnoticed into the world once more, dinking his shot over Svetoslav Vutsov and onto the bar, but it surely was not solely that. He had already lifted a stunning go into Álex Baena to volley extensive and pulled one other again from which Baena was blocked. A disguised supply had set Samu Aghehowa up for what ought to have been the opener, and a neat lay-off noticed Oyarzabal scuff his shot.
He obtained an opportunity of his personal solely to fail to discover a clear connection, volleying extensive. However then, nearly instantly after, he floated one other ball in. This time Robin Le Normand nodded throughout and Merino headed in. Spain, who had 88% of the possession, now had the lead. The warmth map appeared like that they had run out of spray paint half means by way of and a second later Aghehowa might need made it two. However then partially it's the unpredictability, even the injustice, that makes soccer nice. And the primary time Bulgaria obtained into Spain's half they may have equalised, Kiril Despodov immediately sprinting away and hitting the side-netting.
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Launched for Aghehowa on the break, Borja Iglesias had three probabilities in as many minutes earlier than Merino did it once more. The cross from the left was excellent from Álex Grimaldo and there, leaping above everybody, was Merino to energy the header down and sprint off to do laps not far away flag.
As that they had carried out after the opener, Bulgaria escaped once more, Despodov performed by way of and placing his and their second shot extensive and but the primary time the guests had a shot heading in the right direction it was on the mistaken finish, Atanas Chernev turning into his personal internet. Nonetheless it was not fairly carried out, Merino kicked within the shins and stepping apart to let Oyarzabal smash within the 99th objective of De la Fuente's ongoing reign.
