Spain Beat Bulgaria 3-0: Merino, Zubimendi Shine!

Spain started their World Cup qualifying campaign strong with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bulgaria. The match, played in Bulgaria, saw impressive performances from several Spanish players, setting a positive tone for their upcoming matches.

Key Moments and Performances

Mikel Merino stood out, scoring a goal in the first half. Martin Zubimendi also played a crucial role, providing a brilliant assist to Mikel Oyarzabal, who opened the scoring. Chelsea's Marc Cucurella added to Bulgaria's woes with a well-taken goal, extending Spain's lead.

• Mikel Merino: Scored a goal, contributing to Spain's dominant first-half performance.
• Martin Zubimendi: Provided a key assist for the opening goal by Mikel Oyarzabal.
• Marc Cucurella: Scored a goal, marking his first goal for the national team.

De la Fuente's Reaction

Despite the comfortable win, Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, expressed some dissatisfaction with the team's second-half performance. He emphasized the need for improvement as they prepare to face Turkey in their next match.

"In the second half, we lacked freshness, but that is normal at this stage of the season. Sunday will be different," De la Fuente said.

Other International Matches

Elsewhere in Europe, Leandro Trossard featured in Belgium's 6-0 win over Liechtenstein, while Martin Odegaard played in Norway's 1-0 victory against Finland. These matches highlight the ongoing international football action as teams gear up for World Cup qualifiers and other tournaments.

Spain's next challenge is against Turkey, a match where they will aim to maintain their winning momentum and secure another crucial victory in their World Cup qualifying journey.