FOOTBALL NEWS FROM Euro 2012
Spain cruise into Euro 2012 finals
Tweet
Defending champions Spain booked their place in next year's European Championship finals in style with a one-sided mauling of Liechtenstein in Logrono .

Alvaro Negredo set the hosts on their way with a first-half brace while Xavi netted his side's third goal on the stroke of half-time.

Sergio Ramos added a fourth at the start of the season half before Spain's record goalscorer David Villa completed the rout with two more goals in the final half-hour.

The victory leaves Spain with a 100% record after six successive wins in Group I and they boast an unassailable eight-point lead over nearest challengers Czech Republic as Vicente del Bosque's men assured themselves a place in Ukraine and Poland.

Liechtenstein, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with four points from their seven games.

Spain were overwhelming favourites to get the win they needed to secure top spot and the only real surprise was that it took the world champions 33 minutes to make the breakthrough at the Estadio Las Gaunas in the north of the country.

Villa and Xavi had tested Liechtenstein goalkeeper Peter Jehle in the opening half-hour but it was the in-form Negredo, who started the Primera Division season with two goals in Sevilla's 2-1 derby win over Malaga , who broke the deadlock.

Xavi picked up Negredo's run in behind the Liechtenstein defence with a superb lofted pass, and the former Real Madrid forward chested the ball down on the edge of the area before thumping a first-time shot past Jehle.

More fine build-up play then helped Negredo double Spain's lead four minutes later.

This time it was Andres Iniesta who found Villa's run into the box and, after the Barcelona forward had cleverly back-heeled the ball into strike partner Negredo's path, the 26-year-old drove his shot in off the far post.

Spain further extended their advantage just before the interval with some dead-ball magic from Xavi.

The Barca star, in his 103rd appearance for Spain, left Jehle rooted to the spot as he curled home a direct free-kick on the edge of the area.

After finishing the first half with three goals in 12 minutes it was no surprise to see Spain make it 4-0 with just six minutes of the second half gone.

This time it was defender Ramos getting in on the act, the Real Madrid man volleying home at the far post after Iniesta's cross had skimmed the head of Negredo.

At that stage it was a case of how many goals Spain would run up in the final 40 minutes, but Liechtenstein were able to restrict their hosts to just two more goals - both netted by the prolific Villa.

Juan Mata created the fifth in the 60th minute after leaving Franz Burgmeier trailing in his wake as he sped in from the right wing. The new Chelsea signing then laid the ball back to Villa, who took one touch before side-footing a low shot past Jehle.

Spain's final goal arrived in the 79th minute when Xabi Alonso's free-kick to the far post was met by the unmarked Villa, who volleyed home for his 49th international goal.