Santi Cazorla scores first Spain goal in four years in win over Malta
Santi Cazorla has scored five times for Villareal this season
Santi Cazorla scored his first international goal in four years as Spain thrashed Malta to secure top spot in Group F of Euro 2020 qualifying.
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Cazorla, 34, returned to football last year after a career-threatening injury.
He finished a fine move for Spain's second after ex-Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata prodded in the opener.
Pau Torres, Pablo Sarabia, Dani Olmo, Gerard Moreno and Jesus Navas completed the rout in Cadiz.
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Torres and Sarabia both scored within minutes of steeping off the bench for their senior Spain debuts.
Villarreal's Torres came on as a substitute in the 60th minute and netted two minutes later, followed by Dinamo Zagreb's Olmo scoring in the 69th minute, jut three minutes after entering the game.
Cazorla spent almost two years on the sidelines after having eight operations on an ankle injury and then contracting an infection that ate away 8cm of his Achilles tendon.
He underwent a reconstruction of the tendon in 2017, with doctors grafting skin from his left arm to his right ankle.
Despite being told he should be "satisfied" just to walk again, Cazorla made his return for Villarreal in August last year and went on to reclaim a place in the Spain squad five months ago.
His last goal for Spain came in a 2-0 friendly win over England in November 2015.
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Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Line-ups
Spain
23López
22Navas
3Albiol
15RamosSubstituted forTorresat 61'minutes
14Bernat
10Thiago Alcántara
16Rodri
20CazorlaSubstituted forAlcácerat 53'minutes
19Moreno
7MorataSubstituted forOlmoat 66'minutes
11Sarabia
Substitutes
1de Gea
2Carvajal
4Martínez
5Busquets
6Torres
8Saúl
9Alcácer
12Olmo
13Arrizabalaga
17Ruiz
18Gayá
21Oyarzabal
Malta
1Bonello
15CorbalanSubstituted forMicallefat 33'minutes
2Caruana
5Agius
22Muscat
20PisaniSubstituted forGrechat 76'minutes
14Paiber
13Vella
11MuscatSubstituted forCaruanaat 63'minutes
7Mbong
10Nwoko
Substitutes
4Micallef
6Grech
8Fenech
9Mifsud
12Al-Tumi
16Haber
17Effiong
18Muscat
19Zerafa
21Gambin
23Caruana
Referee:
Viktor Kassai
Match Stats
Home TeamSpainAway TeamMalta
Possession
Home80%
Away20%
Shots
Home32
Away1
Shots on Target
Home15
Away0
Corners
Home15
Away0
Fouls
Home4
Away7
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Spain 7, Malta 0.
Full TimePosted at 90'+3'
Second Half ends, Spain 7, Malta 0.
Posted at 90'+1'
Foul by Gerard Moreno (Spain).
Posted at 90'+1'
Kyrian Nwoko (Malta) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 90'
Attempt missed. Pablo Sarabia (Spain) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Posted at 90'
Paco Alcácer (Spain) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Rodrigo with a through ball.
Posted at 90'
Thiago (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 90'
Foul by Dunstan Vella (Malta).
Posted at 87'
Attempt missed. Paco Alcácer (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Goal!Posted at 85'
Goal! Spain 7, Malta 0. Jesús Navas (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Thiago following a corner.
Posted at 85'
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jake Grech.
Posted at 84'
Attempt saved. Dani Olmo (Spain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rodrigo.
Posted at 82'
Offside, Spain. Pablo Sarabia tries a through ball, but Paco Alcácer is caught offside.
Posted at 82'
Thiago (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 82'
Foul by Kyrian Nwoko (Malta).
Posted at 80'
Attempt saved. Pablo Sarabia (Spain) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Jesús Navas with a cross.
Posted at 79'
Foul by Rodrigo (Spain).
Posted at 79'
Kyrian Nwoko (Malta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
SubstitutionPosted at 76'
Substitution, Malta. Jake Grech replaces Jurgen Pisani.
Posted at 74'
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jonathan Caruana.
Posted at 74'
Attempt blocked. Juan Bernat (Spain) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Dani Olmo.
Goal!Posted at 71'
Goal! Spain 6, Malta 0. Gerard Moreno (Spain) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Juan Bernat.
Goal!Posted at 69'
Goal! Spain 5, Malta 0. Dani Olmo (Spain) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Thiago with a through ball.
Posted at 67'
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Andrei Agius.
Posted at 67'
Attempt blocked. Gerard Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jesús Navas with a cross.
Posted at 66'
Attempt saved. Dani Olmo (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gerard Moreno.
SubstitutionPosted at 66'
Substitution, Spain. Dani Olmo replaces Álvaro Morata.
Posted at 65'
Attempt blocked. Thiago (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rodrigo.
Posted at 65'
Attempt blocked. Gerard Moreno (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Álvaro Morata.
SubstitutionPosted at 63'
Substitution, Malta. Tristan Caruana replaces Rowen Muscat.
Goal!Posted at 63'
Goal! Spain 4, Malta 0. Pablo Sarabia (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Gerard Moreno.
Goal!Posted at 62'
Goal! Spain 3, Malta 0. Pau Torres (Spain) with an attempt from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paco Alcácer with a headed pass following a corner.
Posted at 61'
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jonathan Caruana.
SubstitutionPosted at 61'
Substitution, Spain. Pau Torres replaces Sergio Ramos.
Posted at 58'
Attempt missed. Gerard Moreno (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Posted at 58'
Attempt blocked. Gerard Moreno (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Thiago.
Posted at 57'
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jonathan Caruana.
Posted at 57'
Attempt blocked. Pablo Sarabia (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Posted at 57'
Attempt saved. Paco Alcácer (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Gerard Moreno with a through ball.
Posted at 57'
Offside, Spain. Sergio Ramos tries a through ball, but Álvaro Morata is caught offside.
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Source: bbc.com
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