Spain picked up their third Group C victory this evening with a 3-0 success over Belarus in their Euro 2016 qualifier.

Goals from Isco and Sergio Busquets left the hosts with a two-goal lead at the interval in Huelva.

La Roja continued to dominate in the second period and added a third after 55 minutes through Pedro.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two European rivals.

Match statistics

Spain
Shots: 7
On target: 4
Possession: 73%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 5

Belarus
Shots: 6
On target: 1
Possession: 27%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 8

Was the result fair?

In truth, Spain were extremely comfortable winners. Belarus struggled to match the intensity of their opponents when the tempo was raised and the match was over as a contest after just 19 minutes. The visitors had a clear game-plan - to contain and frustrate La Roja - but the plan failed after just 18 minutes when Isco scored a sublime opener. Less than one minute later, it was 2-0, with Busquets finding the bottom corner following some poor defending. Belarus improved in the second period, but they did not register a single attempt on goal until the 80th minute, which is a clear demonstration of their struggles. Spain did not really create enough to be clear winners by five or six goals, but there is no question that a comfortable home win was a fair result.

Spain's performance

Spain have still not lost under manager Vicente del Bosque on Spanish soil and that record was never in doubt on Saturday. As expected, the hosts took control of possession in the early exchanges and dominated the ball throughout the contest. Two quickfire goals after 18 and 19 minutes moved the European champions into a comfortable lead and they were in cruise control from that moment. They started the second period in sluggish fashion, but scored their third after 55 minutes through Pedro. Had the home side wanted to score five or six, then they more than likely could have done, with Del Bosque's side utterly dominant in every area. The only disappointment is that they had just seven attempts. It could and should have been a lot more, but it was a positive night for the home side, who had a number of their new generation on display.

Belarus' performance

After falling 2-0 behind after just 19 minutes, it was always going to be a damage limitation exercise for Belarus rather than attempting to get back into the match. They had just one attempt, which was off-target, in the first period, but they did raise their levels in the second period when Spain started to ease off. A five-man defence was deployed in order to contain Spain, but their full-backs did not offer enough in the final third when Belarus had to come from behind and force the issue. Lone forward Sergei Kornilenko was also isolated for long periods of the match, which made it difficult for the visitors to ease some of the pressure and indeed force their way up the pitch. They can be pleased with how they ended the match, but they were not on the same level as Spain.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Isco: The Spaniard is still not guaranteed a spot in the Real Madrid XI at the moment, but he is certain to be a regular for Spain in the coming matches. On his first competitive La Roja start, the midfielder was excellent. He opened the scoring with a stunning effort and radiated class each time he had possession of the ball. It was a masterclass from the former Malaga attacker.

Biggest gaffe

Belarus lined up with a five-man defence against the European champions, but their three centre-backs never really looked sure of their positions. That was shown when Spain scored twice within the space of a minute in the first period. There was not one individual to blame, but collectively, it was a bit of a nightmare during that horror first-half spell.

Referee performance

Referee Kenn Hansen had a fairly straightforward 90 minutes. There were not really any major decisions to make in terms of game-changing incidents, while the Dane issued just the four yellow cards - three for Belarus and one for Spain. It was not a particularly dirty match in terms of challenges and Hansen was always keen to let play flow.

What next?

Spain: Next up for Del Bosque's side is a friendly against world champions Germany on Tuesday. Their next Euro 2016 qualifier is at home to Ukraine at the end of March 2015.

Belarus: Belarus face Mexico in a friendly on Tuesday evening, before travelling to Macedonia in their next Euro 2016 qualifier on March 27 next year.

Written by
Matt Law