Spain kick off Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with an emphatic win over Norway in Malaga

A 3-0 win over Norway leaves Spain level with Scotland on top of Group A in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Spain came through their opening match of Euro 2024 qualifying against Norway with an emphatic scoreline on Saturday, March 25. This was thanks to two late goals from Joselu, the former Newcastle United and Stoke City striker. Making his debut for the national team, he could not have wished for a better start.

Luis de la Fuente kicked off his era as the new manager of Spain at Malaga’s La Rosaleda stadium, having replaced Luis Enrique after the Qatar World Cup. On reflection, it now seemed a smart move to hand Joselu his first start in a red shirt.

RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo opened the scoring for the home side after 13 minutes. He latched onto a cut-back from Alejandro Balde and deflected the ball just enough to beat Nyland in the Norwegian goal. Although La Roja dominated for large portions of the game, they could not find that second goal as the clock ticked down.

Just two days short of his 33rd birthday, after entering the fray as a substitute, Joselu scored twice with his first two touches of the ball. In the 84th minute, he met a cross from Fabian Ruiz and headed a perfect finish into the net for 2-0. Just one minute later, he powered home a cross from Oyarzabal with his left boot, sealing the three points for Spain.

Joselu really failed to make any impact at St James Park, netting just seven times for the Magpies. Since leaving England, he has been with Alaves and now Espanyol, where in 139 appearances for the two clubs, he has already racked up 49 goals, including 13 so far this season.

Next up for Spain is a trip to Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday 28, to face a Scotland side that beat Cyprus 3-0 this Saturday. The two nations currently share the top spot in Group A.

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