You're reading: Spain sends Ukraine to play-offs

Ukraine was consigned to the Euro 2016 play-offs after it lost 1:0 at home to Spain despite the reigning champions fielding a second-string side in their final Group C qualifying match.

Ukraine needed to better Slovakia’s result in Luxembourg to earn an
automatic berth at the tournament in France next year but their fellow
Eastern Europeans secured a 4:2 win to make sure of second place.

With Spain already assured of top spot, Vicente del Bosque fielded an
experimental team at Kyiv’s Olympiysky Stadium, scene of Spain’s 4:0
triumph against Italy in the final of Euro 2012.

The full-back Mario Gaspar scored with a header on his debut to put
Spain ahead in the 22nd minute and Cesc Fabregas, captaining the side on
his 100th international appearance, won penalty moments later but had
his effort saved by the Ukraine goalkeeper, Andriy Pyatov.

Spain’s eighth qualifying win in a row put them on 27 points from 10
matches and, for the first time, they have gone eight competitive
matches without conceding. Slovakia has 22 points and Ukraine 19, eight
ahead of fourth-placed Belarus.