June 09, (THEWILL)- Spain cruised to a 5-1 victory over Northern Ireland in their final warm-up match ahead of Euro 2024 on Saturday. Despite conceding an early goal to Daniel Ballard, La Roja responded emphatically with a Pedri brace and goals from Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Oyarzabal to triumph comfortably in Palma.
Northern Ireland stunned the hosts by taking the lead after just two minutes through Ballard’s looping header. However, their advantage proved short-lived as Pedri equalised in the 12th minute before Morata’s glancing header put Spain in front. The Barcelona midfielder added his second on 18 minutes, turning home Nico Williams’ cutback to make it 3-1.
Any hopes of a Northern Ireland fightback were extinguished 10 minutes before half-time when Ruiz poked in from close range for Spain’s fourth goal. Luis de la Fuente’s side continued to dominate after the break, with Oyarzabal deflecting in a fifth on the hour mark after unselfish play by Lamine Yamal.
While Isaac Price went close to a consolation for the visitors, Spain saw out the game to claim back-to-back wins ahead of their Euro 2024 opener against Croatia next Saturday. In contrast, Northern Ireland’s three-match unbeaten run ended as their attention turns to a friendly with Andorra before September’s UEFA Nations League matches.
Pedri’s man-of-the-match performance capped an impressive dress rehearsal for the reigning European champions as they look to defend their crown in Germany.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
