Spain bounce back with Luxembourg success

• Spain return to winning ways after first qualifying defeat in eight years
• David Silva opens scoring; Paco Alcácer doubles lead before the break
• Diego Costa scores first international goal; Juan Bernat registers on debut
• Andrés Iniesta captains Spain for first time
• Next games: Luxembourg v Ukraine, Spain v Belarus (15 November)

Spain bounced back from the disappointment of losing their first qualifying game in eight years with a convincing win away at Luxembourg in Group C.

Vicente del Bosque made four changes following Spain's defeat by Slovakia and goals from David Silva, Paco Alcácer, Diego Costa and Juan Bernat were enough for the youthful-looking European champions, who were captained for the first time by midfielder Andrés Iniesta.

The opening minutes set the tone for the rest of the match, with Spain dominating possession and Luxembourg intent on soaking up pressure. Goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert twice denied Costa early on as the visitors looked for the breakthrough, which eventually came through Silva, who fired an unstoppable drive into the top corner after 27 minutes from just outside the box.

The goal brought a sense of relief for Spain, who then stepped up a gear and played with more freedom. Costa was again involved shortly after, latching onto a long ball before miscuing his shot when one-on-one with Joubert. Strike partner Alcácer endured no such problems, though, firing in Silva's cutback five minutes from half-time to double the lead and give the forward three goals in three competitive games for La Roja.

The second half followed a similar pattern to that of the first, with Spain on the front foot, and 20 minutes from time Costa was eventually able to score his first international goal after a scramble in the box following a Koke free-kick. Juan Bernat, making his debut after coming on as a second-half substitute, rounded off the scoring on the counterattack with three minutes to go.