Morata edges wasteful Spain past Hungary

Álvaro Morata scored for the fourth successive game as holders Spain maintained their perfect start to Group 4 with a narrow win against Hungary.

The Real Madrid CF forward headed in his seventh goal in UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying after just nine minutes to pull Julen Lopetegui's team clear of second-placed Austria in the section. After starting with two wins, Hungary have suffered successive defeats but things could have been different had Krisztián Adorján's second-half effort found the net instead of being deflected onto the woodwork.

That came against the run of play as holders Spain dominated throughout in Cartagena but were unable to build on the lead created when Morata met Pablo Sarabia's perfect cross from the left. Sarabia was excellent throughout, a constant thorn in the Hungary side, but the hosts were unable to create a cushion.

Juan Bernat, Iker Muniain and Morata were denied by Levente Jova before half-time while Oliver Torres ought to have made more of Sarabia's cross. It was all Spain, but any notion of complacency was quashed on the hour when Adorján's shot was cleared off the line via the bar by Daniel Carvajal.

Spain took tighter control of the game and though they did not really look like adding to their advantage – an opening for Morata aside – 1-0 proved enough.