On the other hand, Mikel Merino managed to score three goals along a 6-0 away win the Turkey team, while Germany successfully initiated their bid beating Northern Ireland 3-1, as the talented Florian Wirtz scored from a brilliant free kick.
Spain, the reigning European champions, demonstrated relentless offense as Merino scored his first professional hat trick. he also recorded his first ever as midfiel Merino plays for Arsenal. This match also marks as Spains second largest away victory in a world cup qualifier.
Ferran torres and Barcelona hes goal maker Pedri Gonzoz. When the match ended, Gonzoz was the one to also score and they were the goals as he torres was the second player to score.
The goal of Merino was phenomenal considering the fact that the first goal was scored as a result of a culmination of a beautiful team play. Pedri assisted the second goal he scored and the third goal Merino scored was a beautiful curling shot to the top corner.
Spain lost Nico Williams as he got substituted showing signs of a thigh injury. Mikel Merino went on to score a hat trick. Luis de la Fuente and his team scored six points in two games in Group E of the qualifying round.
“I’ve won and I’m happy to pick up six points. I relish the manner in which I scored three goals, which is something abnormal. I scored three goals and still went on to win my first hat-trick. That part is exciting,” Merino added.
They will secure a spot for the finals while the second place will head for the play-offs.
Georgia and Turkey follow next each with three points, the former winning with a 3-0 score-line over Bulgaria thanks to goals from captain Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nika Gagnidze and Georges Mikautadze.
As for Germany, they were under pressure after losing in their opening qualifier 0-2 to Slovakia on Thursday, and they needed to wait until the last quarter of the game during their home meeting with Northern Ireland in Cologne to claim the win.
Serge Gnabry opened the scoring for the home-side but he had to wait until after the half-time break for his team to respond after Isaac Price of West Bromwich Albion had scored the equaliser.
The home supporters were not so pleased with the performance of Julian Nagelsmann’s team but eventually on the 69th minute, they regained the lead when Nadiem Amiri, a substitute, scored with his first touch after converting David Raum’s assist.
Then, right in his home city, the Liverpool player Wirtz took under his command and scored a free kick that established Germany’s first victory in Group A.
Wirtz ‘We knew that the last game was a catastrophe and the aim was to improve.’” “We can certainly build on this performance.”
With three points each, they and Northern Ireland are placed below Slovakia which leads with six points after Tomas Rigo’s late goal secured a 1-0 win against Luxembourg.
Depay makes Dutch history
With a double strike in a Group G match against Lithuania which ended 3-2, Memphis Depay captured the record as all-time top scorer of the Netherlands.
He netted his 51st and 52nd goals for his country which puts him above the legendary Robin van Persie, with whom he had a 50 goals for the Oranje tie, and now currently plays for Corinthians in Brazil.
In the match, Depay 31, rounded off a Cody Gakpo offload to score the curtain raiser and later Quinten Timber scored the second for Netherlands in Kaunas.
Their opponents appeared to be second easily at that point, with Torino’s Gvidas Gineitis snatching a goal, but Edvinas Girdvainis’s header just before half time brought the score level. All of that against the 143rd placed country in the world.
However, he also managed to score and brought his team back in the match with a header after a nice cross from Denzel Dromfries just after 60 minutes.
After four matches played Koeman’s team sits 10 points ahead of Poland and goal differential with a game already played.
In Chorzow, Poland defeated Finland 3-1 with goals from Matty Cash, captain Robert Lewandowski, and Jakub Kaminski, but Benjamin Kaellman scored a goal for Finland, who currently sits 3 points behind the leaders, Poland who had a single match played.
Belgium captured their second straight 6-0 win in Group J after crushing Kazakhstan at Anderlecht’s stadium in Brussels.
Highlights
Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and is currently second on his country’s all time goal scorers list, only behind Romelu Lukaku.
Also netting two goals was Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku while the remaining goals were scored by Nicolas Raskin and Thomas Meunier.
Within the same group, North Macedonia defeated Liechtenstein 5-0, and after five matches, they are first in the group with 11 points. Belgium, with one game in hand, sits on second with Wales trailing behind.