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  • Sports - Football - Scores & Fixtures
  • Updated: June 09, 2021

Euro 2020 Friendlies: Spain U-21 Step Up To Thrash Lithuania In Record-Setting Match

Euro 2020 Friendlies: Spain U-21 Step Up To Thrash Lithuania

Spain National Team - Getty Images

Youthful Spain team beat Lithuania 4-0 on Tuesday despite being without their entire senior squad and they set several records in the process.

With captain Sergio Busquets returning a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday, the senior squad and coaching staff were forced into isolation.

The under-21 side stepped up in their place and took on Lithuania in a full international in Leganes, Spain that will go down in history.

Valencia defender Hugo Guillamon opened the scoring after three minutes before Brahim Diaz doubled the lead on 24 as Spain's youngsters threatened to run riot - with Abel Ruiz missing a penalty on the half-hour.

Juan Miranda netted a free-kick eight minutes after the restart, before substitute Javi Puado sealed a comfortable victory on 73 minutes.

The unfamiliar team were called into action after Spain captain Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, sending the entire senior squad and coaching staff into isolation.

Under-21 coach Luis de la Fuente was placed in temporary charge, and his squad, who lost in the semifinals of their European Championship last Thursday, replaced the senior side so that the fixture could be fulfilled.

The starting team contained 10 debutants for the first time since 1941 with Eibar's Bryan Gil the only previously capped player.

The following is a list of Spain senior national team records set during the game:

- Youngest starting XI - average age 22 years, 102 days.

- The second time Spain had named 10 debutants in the starting XI. The first time was against Portugal in 1941. Bryan Gil was the only previously capped player to start.

- Luis De La Fuente became the 58th coach to take charge of the Spain team.

- For the third time in the national team's history the starting XI had 11 different players from 11 different clubs.

- The first time four debutants had scored for the senior side in the same game.

- The first time since 2009 that the captain named in the starting XI was not the most-capped player.

- The first time since 2007 that players from the second tier of Spanish football represented the national team.

- One of those, Javi Puado of Espanyol, became the first player from a Segunda side to score for Spain since 1993.

- The first time that 12 or more players made their debuts for the senior Spain team in one game. In total 16 players made their debuts.

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