Spain 3-1 Scotland – as it happened

David Silva scored twice as a sensational performance from the home side helped end Scotland's faint hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2012 play-offs

Euro 2012 qualifiers
Spain 3

Silva 6,
Silva 44,
Villa 54

Scotland 1

Goodwillie (pen) 66

Barry Glendenning

Preamble: They might be playing the world and European champions in Alicante, but it's not all bad news for Scotland, who can lose 348-0 tonight and still qualify for the Euro 2012 play-offs if the Czech Republic fail to get a point from their set-to with Lithuania in Vilnius.

As the Guardian's Scottish fitba correspondent Ewan Murray pointed out on Twitter earlier this afternoon, the bookies' odds of 16-1 against Scotland compared to the 6-1 against Lithuania make it abundantly clear which team of plucky outsiders has the better chance of prevailing in their respective matches, but Scotland can at least console themselves with the cheery news that the trio of Darren Fletcher, Barry Bannan and Craig Mackail-Smith, who had been major injury doubts, have all been passed fit to play.

The talk in Alicante has been that Spain may rest several of their top players, prompting a stream of predictable gags that this means Fernando Torres is certain to start. The Chelsea striker started his country's 2-0 win over the Czechs on Friday and was replaced by David Villa on the hour, but his manager Vicente del Bosque has hinted strongly that Torres will start again tonight.

"I saw Fernando in good form with a lot of energy and enthusiasm," he said of the striker's performance in the Czech game. "Unfortunately we didn't find the right pass for him against the Czechs. He did what I asked of him. Fernando made them defend deep and opened up space."

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes looks set to start between the sticks for Spain tonight, while his club team-mate Carles Puyol is likely to start in place of Raúl Albiol, who is nursing a cheekbone he broke in training. We'll be back with all the team news as soon as we have it, but in the meantime here's Kevin McCarra on how himself and several million other Scotsmen have that familiar, hybrid feeling of anticipation and dread.

As Barney Ronay pointed out while writing about England in yesterday's Fiver, "it is not the despair that kills you and it's not the hope either. It is instead the almost complete absence of hope, not to mention the utter banality of what replaces it: the strangulating boredom, not of recurrent grand failure, but of recurrent measly, small-minded, cloggingly dull failure". Good luck, Scotland.

Spain: Valdes, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Jordi Alba, Xavi,
Busquets, Silva, Santi Cazorla, Villa, Pedro.
Subs: Casillas, Javi Martinez, Torres, Mata, Arbeloa, Llorente, Thiago.

Scotland: McGregor, Hutton, Berra, Caldwell, Bardsley,
Morrison, Fletcher, Adam, Bannan, Mackail-Smith, Naismith.
Subs: Marshall, Whittaker, Cowie, Robson, Forrest, Goodwillie,
McManus.

Referee: Stefan Johannesson (Sweden)

An email from an upbeat Scotland fan: "Craig Levein is more delusional than Ally McLeod ever was," writes Billy Williamson. "So far in this qualifying series we've won three games. Two of the wins were by one goal against a village team, and the other was by the same margin against possibly the worst Baltic side ever. On what basis does he think we have a chance against the European and World champions, in front of their own fans? Even if we play his beloved 4-6-0 we won't sneak a draw. Massive missed opportunity in such a terrible group."

Meanwhile in Dublin: Despite being the better team on the evidence so far, 10-man Armenia have just gone a comedy own goal down to Ireland. Their goalkeeper was harshly sent off a few minutes ago too, so it looks like the Republic of Ireland are set fair to qualify the play-offs.

"Tell me that you're not wiggling in your seat about the prospect of Scotland and Ireland making the playoffs - and drawing each other," writes Mike Wilner. "Now that would be a result for which you would have anticipation and dread."

Not long now: The teams are out on the pitch in Alicante and have lined up for their anthems. Spain's players wear their usual strip of intimidating red shirts with blue flashes under their armpits, blue shorts and red socks. Scotland's players wear navy shirts with white trim, white shorts and navy socks with natty white crosses.

Pre-match niceties: Team captains Darren Fletcher and Xavi shake hands and exchange pennants, before Scotland win the toss. Little victories ...

Spain kick off: They're playing a 4-3-3, with Sergio Busquets flanked on the right and left by Xavi and Santi Cazorla, respectively. David Silva is playing in the centre of their front three, with David Villa on the right and Pedro on the left.

2 min: Nothing of note to report so far, as assorted Spain players ping the ball around midfield. Scotland look to be playing a 4-5-1, with Darren Fletcher in the centre of midfield, Charlie Adam and Barry Bannan on his left and right and James Morrison and Steven Naismith making up the numbers.

3 min: Scotland string a few passes together, prompting loud shouts of "Ole!" from their supporters at the successful completion of each pass. Four shouts of "Ole!" in, their fun is spoilt when Steven Naismith sprays a ball from the centre out to Alan Hutton on the right wing, where the full-back miscontrols horribly.

5 min: Scotland's lone frontman Craig Mackail-Smith almost gets his first touch of the ball, but doesn't quite ...
MBM goal

GOAL! Spain 1-0 Scotland (Silva 6) Allan McGregor gets beaten at his near post as Spain score a goal of stunning simplicity after a period of possession and passing play lasting well over a minute. From midfield, Xavi pinged the ball out to the left wing, where Santi-Cazorla took possession, sprinted forward and played a low diagonal pass into a sprinting red and blue blur. It delivered a first-time pass inside to Silva, whose finish was clinical as he sent the ball fizzing through a defender's legs and between goalkeeper McGregor and the near post.

8 min: Few tasks in the field of minute-by-minute reporting are as futile as trying to describe a Spain goal: pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-bang! Trying to remember who did what and how is particularly tricky.

12 min: Cazorla tries his luck, from outside the penalty area, but Allan McGregor gets down to his left to save comfortably.

14 min: Gary Caldwell gets penalised for a foul on David Silva, who he bundled to the ground.

14 min: Spains players are buzzing around between the lines of the Scotland back four and midfield five like particularly persistent flies, pressing the Scotland defence back ever further as they tiki-taka the ball around between them.

16 min: More bad news for Scotland - the Czech Republic are a goal up in Lithuania. As things stand, Scotland will finish third in their group and fail to qualify for the play-offs.

17 min: Pedro tries a shot from the edge of the Scotland penalty area and it appears to take a deflection. McGregor is slightly wrong-footed but manages to save anyway. Moments later, from a corner, Puyol is left unmarked but skims his header wide of the back post.

19 min: For all the vigour with which they're going about their shadow-chasing, Scotland's defending has been pretty abject so far. To many nimble Spaniards are being given far too much time to turn, look up and pick out a team-mate as they receive the ball with their backs to goal on the fringe of the Scotland penalty area.

21 min: Scotland win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Spain goal for a Gerard Pique foul on Craig Mackail-Smith. Charlie Adam' curling delivery towards the far post isn't wonderful and Spain clear.

22 min: The Czech Republic have just gone 2-0 up in Lithuania, which means Scotland are almost certainly going to have to win this match if they are to qualify for the play-offs. Scotland are almost certainly not going to win this game. They're having their be-kilted backsides handed to them at the moment.

22 mins: Darren Fletcher plays a good ball in to the edge of the Spain penalty area, where Steven Naismith had crept in without being spotted. Gerard Pique dispossesses Naismith with a marvellous tackle just inside the penalty area, prompting several thousand Scotland fans to appeal for a penalty. None is forthcoming.

26 min: Xavi, Cazorla, Ramos and Busquets patiently try to pass Scotland into submission in and around the right hand side of the Scotland penalty area, before abandoning their search for an opening and switching the play to the left.

28 min: Pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass--pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-pass.

29 min: From the goal-line, Pedro pulls the ball back to Sergio Busquets, around whom several Scots swarm, forcing him to play the ball back to Santi Cazorla. He threads the ball through a thicket of legs for David Silva to chase, but the striker is correctly flagged for being offside.

30 min: "Just read a stat," writes Chris Lowe, who I suspect is neither the Pet Shop Boy nor the father of ESPN touchline reporter Rebecca, who both share the same name. "There were 41 passes in the build-up to Spain's goal and the 42nd touch was that of goal scorer Silva!"

34 min: Darren Fletcher makes a great run through the centre to get on the end of a clever backward flick off Steven Naismith's head. From the edge of the six-yard box, the Manchester United midfielder volleys over the bar under pressure from a defender. That was a decent chance - Scotland's best (and possibly first) of the night.

36 min: Scotland get forward again, for the second time in a minute. In fact they get so forward that their move breaks down when Alan Hutton, of all people, is penalised for being offside. Moments later, Sergio Ramos gets booked for a foul on Steven Naismith.

38 min: Hmmm ... Scotland are doing quite well now. Phil Bardsley goes on a strong run down the left flank and picks out James Morrison, who turns Ramos inside out with a slaloming run along the left edge of the penalty area, before cutting inside and sending a driving shot high over the bar from a narrow angle.

40 min: Of course the obvious problem with getting notions above your station like that is that such behaviour is just going to make Spain mad. David Villa robs either Caldwell or Morrison on the edge of their own penalty area and tries his luck, only for the ball to take a deflection and go out for a corner from which nothing comes.

42 min: Spain carve open the Scotland defence again and this time Santi-Cazorla shoots from distance. His low drive looks to be heading for the bottom left-hand corner, but Allan McGregor gets down to push the ball around the upright with a splendid save.

44 min: Great play from Craig Mackail-Smith, who turns on the after-burners and leaves Gerard Pique in his dust as he hairs down the left flank to win a corner for Scotland after running into Carles Puyol. Nothing comes of it.
MBM goal

GOAL! Spain 2-0 Scotland (Silva 44) Gah! Just when it looked like Scotland might be getting back into this match, David Silva delivers another hammer-blow to their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs. He cut inside from the right flank, pinged a short pass to Pedro on the edge of the Scotland penalty area and darted a couple of yards forward to collect the return pass. Cutting backwards a yard or two to create a shooting angle, he paused briefly before sending a low diagonal drive across the bows of three defenders and one goalkeeper, into the bottom left-hand corner.

Half-time

Meanwhile in Lithuania: The Czech Republic are 3-0 up, which means Scotland have to win this match if they are to qualify for the play-offs. They haven't a snowball's chance in hell of winning this match.
MBM substitution

Second half: Scotland get the second half started, facing a team that has made one change at half-time. Alvaro Arbeloa has come on in place of Carles Puyol. He goes in at right-back and Sergio Ramos moves to the centre of the Spain defence.

47 min: "I've just had some of what Craig Levein's on, so I'd like to apologise for my earlier negativity and say that tonight marks the end of Scotland's run of glorious failure," writes Billy Williamson. "Second-half goals from Adam, Naismith, and Hutton will see Scotland through in a 4-2 win (Naismith will score twice)."

47 min: Steven Naismith registers a shot on target for Scotland, but Victor Valdes saves easily. Spain move play up the far end of the field, bypassing the Scotland midfield as it wasn't there, with Silva and David Villa exchanging a series of short passes before running out of room upon running into a wall of Scottish resistance on the edge of the penalty area.

50 min: "So, the Czechs are 3-0 up in the worst game of football ever played and Scotland need to score three times in Spain," writes the Reverend Stuart Campbell. "What are the odds, do you think, of Craig Levein playing two strikers in the second half?" I'd say, going on Levein's past form, they're very slim and you should be grateful he's thrown caution to the wind by playing one striker tonight.

52 min: David Silva holds up a hand in apology after injuring Darren Fletcher's ankle in a mid-air collision just outside the Scotland penalty area. Free-kick to Scotland and Fletcher is fit to continue.

54 min: "Seeing as you're the only one doing a live MBM right now, can we get an update on other team's situations?" writes Paulo Padilha, who might want me to stick a broom up my jacksy so I can sweep the floor as well. Here you go ....
MBM goal

GOAL! Spain 3-0 Scotland (Villa 54) David Villa strokes the ball past McGregor into the bottom right-hand corner after picking up a pass across the Scotland penalty area from David Silva, who'd cut in from the left. Too easy.
MBM substitution

57 min: Spain substitution: David Silva off, Thiago Alcantara on. According to BBC commentator Guy Mowbray, Alcantar's father Mazinho won the World Cup with Brazil and was one of the players in that three-man "rocking the cradle" goal celebration of Bebeto's at USA 94. Interestingly, Matheus, the baby whose birth inspired the celebration is now 17 years old and training with Flamengo in Brazil.

60 min: "Other than the boredom of the pass-pass-pass part of their game, is there anything 'wrong' with Spain's manner of play?" asks Paul Taylor. "It seems they excel at dribbling, passing, finding angles and open men, moving with or without the ball, shooting, and just about every other aspect of offense. Honestly, now, which of those traits are not to be aspired to?" None, in my opinion. But who's been carping?
MBM substitution

64 min: Scotland substitutions: Bannan and Adam off, David Goodwillie and James Forrest on.
MBM substitution

Spain off: Xavi off, Llorente on.
MBM goal

GOAL! Spain 3-1 Scotland (Goodwillie 65pen) David Goodwillie dispatches a beauty of a penalty into the top left-hand corner with his first touch of the match after coming on as a substitute. Scotland were awarded the spot-kick after Victor Valdes manhandled Craig Mikail-Smith to the ground on the edge of the six-yard box.

68 min: That's David Goodwillie's first international goal, by the way. Scored against the World and European champions, it's one he can be very proud of. His run-up was short and his aim was true - he left Valdes with no chance.

69 min: James Forrest wins a corner for Scotland, which he takes himself, sending an inswinger to the far post. Christophe Berra leaped highest and steered a header across the face of goal, which looked like it might creep in at the opposite post, but Spain scrambled frantically to clear their lines.

71 min: The calm which David Goodwillie exuded while taking his penalty deserts him as he charges down the inside right flank on to a ball over the top from Alan Hutton and blasts it high and wide from a narrow angle. If he'd looked up he'd have seen Craig Mackail-Smith unmarked and waving for a pass in the centre ready to tap in and make it 3-2. That's poor, poor play from the Blackburn striker.

72 min: Goodwillie's certainly having an impact. From the left side of the pitch, he attempts to pick out the excellent Mackail-Smith, who was trying to steal in at the back post. Alvaro Arbeloa is forced to cut out the ball with an excellent interception.

76 min: More good play from Mackail-Smith, who jinks his way past a couple of defenders on his way towards the Spain goal before having a stop put to his gallop by Sergio Ramos.The Scotland striker didn't really have the ball under control and tried to take a touch too many instead of firing off a shot.

78 min: Santi Cazorla sends a low cross fizzing in from the left towards Fernando Llorente, but an off-balance Phil Bardsley hacks clear at the near post before falling over and landing on his backside.

80 min: On the edge of the Spain penalty area, James Morrison kicks Jordi Alba's ankle and the Spain left-back goes down holding his thigh. Morrison gets booked. In other yellow card news, Darren Fletcher had his name taken about 10 minutes ago in an incident I've only just got round to telling you about.

81 min: Another vaguely noteworthy incident I didn't get to tell you about involved the substitution of Xavi. Spain had originally intended to take off David Villa, but he and Xavi had a brief chat on the pitch, after which Xavi trotted off instead. This team is so good it seems to manage itself.

83 min: Santi Cazorla tries a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Gary Caldwell blocks.

84 min: Lanky Basque Fernando Llorente tries a shot from about 10 yards out, almost knocking Allan McGregor off his feet with his surface-to-air screamer. Good save from the Rangers goalkeeper, whose palms will be stinging from the power of that shot.

87 min: Down by the bye-line to the right of the Scotland goal, Llorente pounces on a wayward back-pass from Christophe Berra and picks out Santi Cazorle, who is unable to capitalise on the error.

88 min: Spain carve open the Scotland defence again and the ball is pinged across the edge of the six-yard box to Santi Cazorle, who looked to have a simple job of making it 4-1 with a chip over McGregor, who was rushing off his line. The ensuing chip clears both goalkeeper and crossbar, however, leaving the scoreboard operator untroubled.

90 min: A brilliant bit of skill from Pedro leaves Alan Hutton looking very foolish indeed on the edge of the Scotland penalty area. The Spanard then cuts inside and creates room for a shot, but sends his effort curling high and wide.

90+2 min: "Levein must go now," writes the Reverand Stuart Campbell, who clearly isn't his biggest fan and not too full of Christian charity either. "We have a promising young side which is capable of playing some football and more Premiership talent than for years, but Levein insists on sending them out to play to their biggest weakness - the defence. We're always going to let goals in, we have to score some if we want to win, and 4-5-1 (if we're lucky) will never deliver that. Get Gordon Strachan, bring back George Burley - hell, I'd even take Kay Burley over this muppet."

90+3 min: Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over and Scotland hasve failed to make the play-offs and will play no further part in Euro 2012. They were totally outclassed by a sensational Spain side tonight, so their only hope of qualifying for the play-offs lay in Lithuania. Indeed, they would have got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky free-scoring Czechs.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer