Czech Rep 0 - 2 Spain: All too easy for Spain as Mata and Alonso goals seal victory over Czechs

The Czechs were a shambles for much of the game against the world and European champions, who were in cruise control as they continued their perfect campaign. To add to their worries, they will now have to travel to Kaunas without Tomas Hubschman who was sent off for an awful over-the-ball challenge on Xabi Alonso, who had to hobble off and could be a doubt for Scotland’s trip to Alicante on Tuesday.

Now a Scottish victory tonight will put Levein’s men in the driving seat – in terms of points anyway – in Group I, with Scotland requiring to match or better the Czechs’ result in Lithuania on Tuesday. The Czechs’ poor display must make it doubly frustrating for the Tartan Army that Scotland chose to come here a year ago today and play with no strikers.

In contrast, Spain – who cruised to the win thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Alonso – won their 21st qualifier in a row in a stroll. They cantered to this success and Scotland can only hope they go easy on them.

The visitors were keen to establish an early superiority and Mata had an early effort deflected into Petr Cech’s side netting.

And the Czechs failed to heed that warning as they fell behind as early as the sixth minute. Again, Spain’s trademark passing game had the home side chasing shadows and Mata easily sprung the Czech’s offside trap from Xavi’s pass and opened his body before easily slipping the ball past the exposed Cech.

A rare Spanish error as Barcelona defender Gerard Pique misplaced a pass allowed Milan Baros a clear run on goal, but the former Liverpool striker’s pace has gone and Sergio Ramos comfortably got back to clear the danger before Baros was even close to getting his shot away.

It was no surprise when Spain doubled their lead in the 23rd minute. Another effortless display of passing ended with David Silva looking up and spotting Alonso across goal and the Real Madrid man couldn’t miss in front of goal with Cech taken out of play by Silva’s pass.

It was embarrassingly easy at this stage from a Spanish team who looked like they had barely got out of second gear. In fact, at times Spain were more interested in flicks, tricks and showboating. You could only wonder what they could have done if they actually needed the win.

It took the Czechs until the 38th minute to offer up a decent attempt and Tomas Rosicky side-footed wide after a spell of possession from the home side.

And they blew an even better chance three minutes later when Baros was left unmarked in front of goal and somehow managed to take a fresh air swipe on Daniel Pudil’s excellent cross and missed the ball entirely.

The Czechs were reduced to ten men in the 70th minute when Hubschman was rightly sent off for a horrific over-the-ball challenge on Alonso, who immediately hobbled off. It summed up a poor night for the Czechs and it has given the Scots real hope.

Czech Republic: Cech, Gebre Selassie, Hubnik, Sivok, Kadlec, Pudil, Rosicky, Hubschman, Jiracek, Kolar, Baros (Peckhart 62).

Spain: Casillas, Albiol, Pique, Ramos (Puyol 46), Arbeloa, Alonso (Martinez 72), Xavier, Busquets, Mata, Silva, Torres (Villa 60).