Next up, Norway stay on the road with a trip to Georgia while Spain head to Scotland to decide control of Group A heading into June, both on Tuesday. Until then, thank you for joining us!
But they only played their part in a game that saw them held in lockstep by a tenacious opponent. Without Erling Haaland, few would have given Norway a serious chance. The scoreline does them no favours in the end, but they will feel confident they can battle for progression from Group A.
So, it is a victorious start to the new era of La Roja. They are off the mark, with a performance that, if not wholly able to banish their World Cup ghosts, nevertheless suggested a positive forward progression for the most part. They will be fun to watch on this basis.
A ruthless super sub cameo from Joselu seals an emphatic victory for Spain to get their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign up and running with victory in Group A. The hosts have a first win under Luis de la Fuente, but spare a thought for Norway, who looked close to pinching a point before the final quarter-hour. At full-time, it has finished Spain 3-0 Norway.
90' + 5' FULL-TIME: SPAIN 3-0 NORWAY
90' + 2' Spain are looking for a fourth to rub salt in the wound, as Norway clear their lines. The home fans are in fine voice as this one nears its end.
90' There will be four added minutes in this contest.
88' Talk about a super sub performance. A rapid purple patch has turned this game on its head. Norway have been hit with a pair of sucker-punches in quick succession. It is a cruel scoreline for their efforts.
O. Brynhildsen
A. Sørloth
86' Sorloth bows out and makes way for Brynhildsen in Norway's fifth change.
Joselu
Goal
85' GOAL! TWO IN TWO MINUTES FOR SPAIN! 3-0! It's two in two minutes for Joselu too, as the substitute adds a second! The work is done by Oyarzabal, who sees his square ball across the face of goal deflected only as far as his team-mate, who whistles a close-range finish home.
Fabián Ruiz
Assist
83' It's double delight for the new arrivals too, with Luiz supplying the all-important assist. The substitue weights that delivery wonderfully, and Joselu does enough to push his finish wide of the keeper's reach.
Joselu
Goal
83' GOAL! SPAIN HAVE THEIR SECOND! 2-0! That will surely be a maiden win for Luis de la Fuente's side! It is Joselu, fresh from the bench, who scrapes a header back across the face of goal and beats Nyland at the far post.
Fabián Ruiz
Mikel Merino
81' Merino makes way for Ruiz as the hosts make their fifth swap.
Joselu
Álvaro Morata
81' Joselu is brought on for Morata in Spain's fourth change.
80' Norway cannot believe that! A plum opportunity for Sorloth arises with a cross looped to him in open space and he volleys wide at the far side. That could and should have been the equaliser.
79' Merino pushes hard with a left-footed effort now, but sees his shot blocked. Another ball is flagged offside moments later as Norway survive the attack.
76' End-to-end stuff as we enter the final quarter-hour in Malaga. Norway are looking to get downfield fast, but every move they make looks to be intercepted by a shrewd Spanish counter-attack, with Pino just going wide for the hosts.
F. Bjørkan
B. Meling
74' Bjorkan is given the nod to replace Meling in the visitors' fourth change.
J. Strand Larsen
M. Elyounoussi
74' Larsen is in and Elyounoussi is out in Norway's third switch.
O. Solbakken
S. Berge
74' The visitors replace Berge with Solbakken for their second alteration.
J. Ryerson
M. Pedersen
74' Norway introduce Ryerson in place of Holmgren for their first change.
73' Here comes those Norway changes, and it appears the visitors are throwing caution to the wind.
71' Spain flood the Norway box and look to put the visitors back under the pump. Nyland counters with a long ball straight to the isolated Sorloth, only for defenders to peel back and cut off any chance he can offer.
69' There's just under a quarter of this game to go and Norway are yet to make their changes. Are they lining up for a high energy final act?
Yeremy Pino
Dani Olmo
67' Spain introduce Pino as their third change in place of Olmo.
66' Nyland is a safe pair of hands at the back as a booming Spain cross veers off-target and towards goal instead. The keeper reads it well and snaffles out of the air before anyone else reacts.
64' A stinger of a hit on Meling sees the defender stay down after he gets clipped in the face. Though he is able to continue a moment later, another facial knock breaks down Norway's corner prospects a moment later.
63' Rodri generates a half-chance and pulls his effort wide. Spain want that second to put this game to bed.
62' If you need a marker of how this game has tightened up, consider both teams in their duel for the ball. Both have generated an exact 50-50 success rate split so far.
60' With Spain having made their changes, Norway will hope they can fine some potential tactical gaps to exploit before the fresh legs tell. It's going to be a tough ask as we reach the hour mark.
Dani Ceballos
Iago Aspas
58' The hosts make a second alteration, pulling Aspas in place of Ceballos.
Mikel Oyarzabal
Gavi
58' Spain make their first swap, with Oyarzabal on for Gavi.
57' With Norway having gone close at the back there, Luis de la Fuente is preparing his first changes as Spain boss in the coming minutes.
55' Have Spain ridden their luck there? Norway are howling for a penalty after a deflected shot appeared to ricochet into the arm of Nacho at first glance. The referee waves them away and no VAR consultation is forthcoming either.
53' There's an increased openness to an already pretty wide match so far in the second half. Norway need to chase a goal for a result, while Spain look adamant they want a second rather than simply choosing to dig in.
A. Sørloth
Yellow Card
51' Sorloth is the latest man into the book for a foul. Replays suggest he got to the ball first, but the decision will stand, to his consternation.
50' A chance for Spain to double their lead through an Aspas header arises now. There's so little power behind his attempt thought that the ball practically trickles through to Nyland in goal.
49' Nacho is on the receiving end of a clipped challenge now and hobbles away. Both coaches will be keeping a sharp eye out for injuries and how best to mitigate the likelihood the longer this game weaves on.
47' An early stoppage in play halts any chance of early momentum following the break for both sides. Berge is attended to by medics after a head clash while in the tackle, though he is able to carry on.
46' We are back underway for the second half in this game. Will Spain see themselves through to victory or can Norway find a way to take a major result on the road?
When it comes to first half stats, it's practically a game of doubles. Spain have had four shots to Norway's two, with half of those on-target for both teams. In addition, an improved share of the ball makes it 65 per cent for the hosts and 35 per cent for the visitors. There's a lot more to come in this.
Dani Olmo's close-range finish is the difference in this absorbing Euro 2024 qualifier, but neither Spain nor Norway will consider this game a done deal. Despite dominance on the ball, La Roja have been rattled a few times by their underdog visitors. This one remains open. At half-time, it is Spain 1-0 Norway.
45' + 1' HALF-TIME: SPAIN 1-0 NORWAY
45' There will be one added minute in this first half.
43' With only a few minutes until the interval, Norway step up the intensity in response to that booking, with a industrious series of plays and challenges. Gavi is able to draw a foul as a result.
M. Ødegaard
Yellow Card
41' Odegaard draws the first yellow card of the game for a heavy challenge on Merino. The Norway captain voices his frustration at the decision and is given a stern word by the officials.
41' Norway attempt to go down the left edge again, and think they have a credible claim for a foul in the penalty area. The referee waves their protests away immediately and allows play to roll on.
39' Rodri clips Sorloth in the challenge now and the latter picks up a free-kick. We are yet to see a booking in this game, though there's undoubtedly a little bit of bite swimming under the surface.
37' Elyounoussi thinks he has found purchase down the middle for Norway, only for his movement to come to nothing. The home crowd find enjoyment at his frustration.
34' Carvajal puts his team in trouble now as he loses possession just outside his box. He does well to recover, deflecting a return pass for a corner before winning a free-kick for a shove amid the following set-piece.
33' Those Norway fans in the crowd are continuing to have a whale of a time, their arms linked in some kind of fascinating conga. Euro qualifiers can be a little sleepy in the early stages, but not this one!
31' Now it is Nyland's turn to pull off a fine stop, dropping low at his left post to bat away a close-range attempt by Merino. Spain are determined to lay siege to the Norway box for every attack they face in return.
29' What a save from Kepa! On the counter again, Norway tear Spain apart and loft a ball into the box for Aursnes. His volley is kept low enough, but somehow the goalkeeper's reflexes knock it away.
27' There's a snap and crackle to this game now, even with such lopsided time on the ball. Spain are positively brimming with energy, yet Norway are bluntly refusing to roll over and play their game.
25' Oh, how has Morata missed that? Spain lay on a wonderful ball from out wide on the right and Olmo fizzes it just across the box. His captain cannot get there at the far post in time for a tap-in.
23' Despite Norway's attempts to wrestle back a foothold, they will likely have to continue to do it on the counter. They have had just 17 per cent of possession so far in this game.
21' There's a moment of frenzied confusion in the Spain box before they muzzle the Norwegian attack and clear their lines. In his technical area, Luis de la Fuente fumes at their scruffiness.
20' Norway continue to push, seeking to find a response as rapidly as they can. An angled move seeks to cut open the defensive line, but Nacho steers the ball away for a corner.
17' Spain look to steady matters after a spike of confrontational energy from Norway after that concession. The hosts will not want to open their Group A campaign with dropped points.
15' Odegaard! Norway almost strike back inside two minutes, as the Arsenal man is fed a beautiful cut-back following a break by the visitors. His shot is thrashed away by Nacho with a great block.
Alejandro Balde
Assist
13' Was Balde striking for goal himself there? It looks more like a miscued shot than a set-up delivery at second glance. Either way, he has a big assist in this game.
Dani Olmo
Goal
13' GOAL! SPAIN SEIZE THE LEAD! 1-0! It's the perfect response to put the World Cup behind them, a goal inside the first quarter-hour! Olmo is the man who finishes at close-range, diverting Balde's ball past Nyland.
11' A blocked Morata shot is cleared out for a corner. Spain are unable to make the set-piece stick however, though they retain possession and work it around the opposition half until their pressure dissipates.
9' There is more energy to Spain, a slowly growing sense of danger that they could pry open Norway with one neat pass. Time will tell how long it takes them.
7' Gavi attempts to play around the same flank now, with greater success. He pushes deep into the Norway box, though his final touch is heavy and takes the ball out for a goal-kick.
5' Balde attempts to find headway down the left wing, but is forced to retreat by a stubborn Norwegian defence. Spain must look for another route around as they play it back.
3' Both teams test each other out around the wide edges in the opening exchanges. Neither seem in a hurry to commit too many men forward at this early stage.
1' We are underway in this Euro 2024 qualifier between Spain and Norway!
The anthems have concluded and we are moments away from kick-off.
Here come the teams. We will have the national anthems.
It's filling up nicely in Malaga, with a clutch of Norway fans having made the journey in fine voice. Even with their World Cup disappointment, Spain have a 33-place advantage over their visitors on the FIFA World Rankings. They are heavy favourites.
Norway meanwhile were nowhere near the World Cup, having failed to qualify for the tournament. They lost their final two Nations League games to miss out on promotion there too, but are unbeaten in their last pair of friendlies from November.
Spain fans will not need reminding of their recent form, but here goes. They started Qatar 2022 on a winning note against Costa Rica, before a draw with Germany and loss to Japan stifled their momentum. It got worse with a last-16 exit to Morocco.
Substitutes: Stian Gregersen, Fredrik Andre Bjorkan, Morten Thorsby, Ola Solbakken, Kristian Thorstvedt, Ola Brynhildsen, Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Mats Moller Daehli, Jacob Karlstrom, Egil Selvik, Julian Ryerson, Jorgen Strand Larsen.
NORWAY (4-3-3): Orjan Nyland; Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Stefan Strandberg, Leo Ostigard, Birger Meling; Martin Odegaard, Patrick Berg, Fredrik Aursnes; Sander Berge, Alexander Sorloth, Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Substitutes: Joselu, Jose Gaya, Martin Zubimendi, Inigo Martinez, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal, Robert Sanchez, David Raya, Yeremi Pino, Pedro Porro, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Ceballos.
Spain meanwhile favour age with their experience, with 35-year-old Iago Aspas and 33-year-old Nacho both included in the starting line-up. Kepa Arrizabalaga, a bright light amid a tough Chelsea season, gets the nod in goal.
But he is not the only man who makes this match. Norway are skippered by in-form Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, and pack a front-line including Mohamed Elyounoussi and Alexander Sorloth.
To get there though, the hosts need to qualify first, and they face a curious test in the shape of their visitors. Norway and boss Stale Solbakken are without arguably the form player in the world, in Erling Haaland, injured before the break.
Gone is Luis Enrique, his credit from a Euro 2020 semi-final wasted in December, and in comes Luis de la Fuente. The former academy man has won the U19 and U21 editions of this tournament before, so will he make it a hat-trick?
It's all change with La Roja, who get their campaign underway in pursuit of a place at next year's tournament in Germany looking to put the ghosts of a dismal Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign behind them.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2024 European Championship qualifiers, as Spain look to make a winning start to their path against Norway in a Group A encounter at La Rosaleda!
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