VALLADOLID
\nSpain moved a step closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Tuesday. Luis de la Fuente\u2019s side were completely dominant and triumphed thanks to Mikel Merino\u2019s brace, as well as Atanas Chernev\u2019s own goal and a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty.
\nSpain have won all four of their opening matches, scoring 15 times without conceding a single goal to lead Group E by three points ahead of Turkey. Georgia are third with Bulgaria bottom after four defeats. \u201c(Scoring) was something I wanted to work on and I\u2019m doing it,\u201d Merino told TVE.
\n\u201cThe merit belongs to the team for creating so many chances, we control games from start to end, and that\u2019s the important thing. \u201cWe don\u2019t have much further to go to get to the World Cup, but it\u2019s not done yet… I hope we keep winning.\u201d
\nDe la Fuente was without several injured key players including Lamine Yamal, Rodri Hernandez and Nico Williams, but his side made light work of the visitors in Valladolid. Euro 2024 winners Spain attacked relentlessly and came close to taking the lead when Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez\u2019s chip hit the bar.
\nPedri was involved again when they broke the deadlock, with his lofted ball into the area nodded on by Robin Le Normand for Merino to head home. Bulgaria coach Aleksandar Dimitrov admitted before the game his side were just trying to avoid a thrashing, and they restricted Spain to just one goal in the first half. Borja Iglesias, who replaced Samu Aghehowa at half-time, should have extended Spain\u2019s lead but headed wide when well-placed.
\nMerino headed home his second of the game a few minutes later from Alejandro Grimaldo\u2019s cross as the hosts kept up the pressure. It was Merino\u2019s sixth goal in his last four matches for Spain. Chernev bundled substitute Aleix Garcia\u2019s cross into his own net for Spain\u2019s third goal after 79 minutes.
\nMerino won a penalty in stoppage time as he was clumsily kicked by Martin Georgiev and Oyarzabal dispatched it to seal Spain\u2019s triumph. Spain have gone 29 competitive matches without defeat, excluding in a penalty shoot-out, matching a record set between 2010 and 2013 by former coach Vicente del Bosque, encompassing their single World Cup triumph to date.
\n\u201cI have to congratulate the players… the problem is that we want more,\u201d said De la Fuente. \u201cWe have to keep competing and winning. I\u2019m happy for this milestone but we\u2019re not thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
VALLADOLID Spain moved a step closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Tuesday. Luis de la Fuente\u2019s side were completely dominant and triumphed thanks to Mikel Merino\u2019s brace, as well as Atanas Chernev\u2019s own goal and a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty. Spain have won all four of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-508891","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n