Soccer

Spain warm up for Euros with six goal spree

Belgium avoid embarrassment of defeat to Finland late on, as Netherlands beat Poland

Spain are hunting a hat-trick of European Championship wins, but will their lack of firepower up front come back to haunt them in Group D? They have been drawn alongside Croatia, Czech Republic and Turkey, Emmet Malone reports.
Thu Jun 02 2016 - 10:46

Spain showed their appetite for a third successive European Championship success with a 6-1 warm-up win over South Korea in Salzburg.

The 2010 World Cup winners, European champions in 2008 and 2012, were held until the 31st minute when David Silva’s free-kick put them ahead.

And Alvaro Morata and Nolito each scored twice, while Cesc Fabregas was also on target at Red Bull Arena.

Ju Se-jong scored a consolation for South Korea.

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Czech Republic, Spain's first Euro 2016 Group D opponents in Toulouse on June 13th, beat Russia 2-1 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Tomas Necid scored a 90th-minute winner as the visitors came from behind.

Aleksandr Kokorin's sixth-minute goal for Russia, Group B opponents of England and Wales, was cancelled out by Tomas Rosicky four minutes into the second half before Necid struck.

Romelu Lukaku's 89th-minute goal saved Belgium the embarrassment of defeat to Finland, who have not qualified.

Belgium, who are in Group E with Italy and are one of the pre-tournament favourites, went behind to Kasper Hamalainen’s goal eight minutes into the second half.

Netherlands, who will not be playing at Euro 2016 after failing to qualify, beat Group C's Poland 2-1 in Gdansk.

Georginio Wijnaldum scored the winner after Artur Jedrzejczyk had cancelled out Vincent Janssen’s opener.

Norway, who will not be in France, beat Iceland 3-2. Iceland, who are in Group F with Portugal, were trailing from the opening minute and Gylfi Sigurdsson's 81st-minute penalty softened the scoreline.

Elsewhere, Estonia beat Andorra 2-1 and Latvia defeated Lithuania by the same scoreline.