Morata spares Spain blushes
Murcia (Spain), June 8: Alvaro Morata came off the bench to salvage Julien Lopetegui’s unbeaten record as Spain coach in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Colombia in Murcia on Wednesday.
After Edwin Cardona had cancelled out David Silva’s opener for the hosts, Radamel Falcao’s first international goal for two years had Colombia on course for a famous win.
However, Morata made his case to start Sunday’s World Cup qualifier away to Macedonia with a towering header three minutes from time to save Spain’s blushes.
“I always want to play for Spain,” Morata, who joined up with the squad earlier than scheduled after helping Real Madrid retain the Champions League against his old side Juventus on Saturday, told Telecinco.
Italians cruise Nice: Italy beat Uruguay for the first time in 27 years with a comfortable 3-0 success in Nice, France on Wednesday, as the South Americans’ defender Jose Gimenez had a shocker.
While this victory will be no consolation for the Italians, who were eliminated from the 2014 World Cup at the group stage after a 1-0 defeat by the South Americans, it does offer Giampiero Ventura’s team a timely boost ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Lichtenstein in Udine on Sunday.
With star strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez injured, Uruguay suffered an early blow as Gimenez scored a bizarre own goal after just seven minutes.
Brazilian-born Eder deflected home a cross-cumshot from Manolo Gabbiadini eight minutes from time to end Uruguay’s comeback hopes, before Daniele De Rossi added gloss in injury time from the penalty spot, conceded by Gimenez.