| 1 - 0 |
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| Gerard Piqué 60 |
Spain put themselves in pole position to qualify for the World Cup next year with a 1-0 over Turkey at the Bernabéu, leaving them six points clear of second-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina in Group 5.
Turkey have not beaten Spain in 55 years, but it was the Turks who started the match brightly as they did not give the European champions much time and space on the ball to weave their magic.
Nihat Kahveci tested Iker Casillas, who moved into third all-time with his 90th appearance for Spain, with a shot from just inside the box that he had to tip wide.
David Villa nearly headed Spain in front in the 35th minute, but with a flick from a defender it went over.
The hosts took the lead fifteen minutes into the second-half when Gerard Piqué poked home from close range after Xavi's free-kick hit Sergio Ramos at the far post and fell kindly for him.
It was Piqué's first international goal only in his second appearance for La Furia Roja.
David Silva, who came on for Santi Cazorla in the 78th minute, nearly doubled the lead but his shot from outside the box skimmed over the crossbar.
Lineups:
Spain: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Raúl Albiol, Piqué, Capdevila; Marcos Senna; Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla (David Silva 78); Fernando Torres (Fernando Llorente 88), David Villa (Mata 64)
Turkey: Volkan Demirel; Hakan Balta, Emre Aşık, Gökhan Gönül, İbrahim Üzülmez; Mehmet Aurelio; Emre Belözoğlu, Tuncay Şanlı, Arda Turan (Gokhan Unal 78); Semih Şentürk (Ayhan Akman 57), Nihat Kahveci
Spain v Turkey goal & highlights
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Turkey have not beaten Spain in 55 years, but it was the Turks who started the match brightly as they did not give the European champions much time and space on the ball to weave their magic.
Nihat Kahveci tested Iker Casillas, who moved into third all-time with his 90th appearance for Spain, with a shot from just inside the box that he had to tip wide.
David Villa nearly headed Spain in front in the 35th minute, but with a flick from a defender it went over.
The hosts took the lead fifteen minutes into the second-half when Gerard Piqué poked home from close range after Xavi's free-kick hit Sergio Ramos at the far post and fell kindly for him.
It was Piqué's first international goal only in his second appearance for La Furia Roja.
David Silva, who came on for Santi Cazorla in the 78th minute, nearly doubled the lead but his shot from outside the box skimmed over the crossbar.
Lineups:
Spain: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Raúl Albiol, Piqué, Capdevila; Marcos Senna; Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Santi Cazorla (David Silva 78); Fernando Torres (Fernando Llorente 88), David Villa (Mata 64)
Turkey: Volkan Demirel; Hakan Balta, Emre Aşık, Gökhan Gönül, İbrahim Üzülmez; Mehmet Aurelio; Emre Belözoğlu, Tuncay Şanlı, Arda Turan (Gokhan Unal 78); Semih Şentürk (Ayhan Akman 57), Nihat Kahveci
Spain v Turkey goal & highlights
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