Del Bosque: We controlled the game and never let our opponents feel comfortable

12 Oct 2012 11:45:00 PM

The 61-year-old coach praised the performance of his team, as they eased to a comfortable win in Minsk in which Pedro scored a well-taken hat-trick

Vicente Del Bosque has revealed his pleasure with how Spain performed during their 4-0 win over Belarus, and particularly the manner in which his side did not allow their opposition to settle.

An early goal from Jordi Alba set the world and European champions on their way to victory in Minsk, with Pedro scoring a fine hat-trick to make the score 4-0 by the final whistle.

As often happens, Spain dominated possession during the game, and this control was something that Del Bosque highlighted when speaking to journalists after the match.

"We played well and controlled the match. They [Belarus] could not play to our level, and never felt comfortable on the pitch," the trainer told RFEF's official website.

"It was a good game, very complete. The players felt very comfortable from the beginning, linked well, played with depth, and recovered the ball well. The talent and quality of our players did the rest."

When asked about the performance of Pedro, he said: "He's playing very well for his club. Pedro is fresh, dynamic, and has important offensive aggressiveness that breaks the mould slightly, and allows us to play on the front foot."

Sergio Ramos was substituted in the 70th minute for Raul Albiol, while David Silva also made way for Andres Iniesta in the second half, despite the Manchester City attacker enjoying a decent game.

"Sergio had a small knock, and though he did not have to come off, a change was preferable, though he wanted to keep playing. Silva had a card and I wanted to distribute the playing time between Silva and Andres Iniesta," Del Bosque explained.

Spain face France in their next World Cup qualifying game on October 16, and Del Bosque was full of praise for their next opponents ahead of the match.

"It will be a very difficult game because France have an extraordinary squad. They have strength in depth in attack, and have very good players elsewhere who are calm but with physical power.

"It will be a difficult game," he added.

Inside Goal.Com

Exclusive interview: Tovey on Chiefs title
AmaKhosi legend Neil Tovey shares his views with Goal on a remarkable season that his former team has had since August last year
Arsenal hold their nerve in top-four battle
Arsene Wenger's side produced a clinical performance to secure a top-four Premier League finish but now they must kick on if they wish to challenge for honours next year
SA Goal readers best comments of the week
Read our second installment of our Goal readers comments on all the big talking points in South African soccer over the week. Join the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter
Feature: How Kaizer Chiefs won the PSL title
Goal highlights the 10 most important matches which helped Chiefs claim their first PSL title in eight years
Who is the greatest Champions League striker ever?
Enter our competition now and you will be in with a chance of winning one of four replica football shirts. Simply pick your favourite and subscribe to our YouTube channel