Spain have beaten a hard-working Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the last match in Group H. The result sees Spain’s La Furia Roja top Group H after Juanito scored the only goal of the game from a beautifully placed free-kick from Jose Antonio Reyes.

Spain started the match with eleven changes to the team that started against Tunisia, with now the only player in the whole 23-man Spain squad not having featured being Liverpool keeper Jose ‘Pepe’ Reina.

The game started very slowly, with Spain not too concerned about attacking, and Saudi Arabia still getting a feel for their opponents, but not threatening.

There was a great piece of build-up play from Spain, resulting in Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas playing the ball square to Albelda, who struck well from 18-yards and forced a good save from Mabrouk Zaid.

Joachin had another shot for Spain tipped over the bar minutes later as Spain started to take control of the match, with some half-chances for Spain, but the Saudi’s defending well.

It was a matter of time before Spain got a breakthrough, and it came in the 36th minute after Jose Antonio Reyes was fouled on the wing.

The Arsenal man took the free-kick, which he whipped into the box, perfectly met by Gutierrez Juanito in the penalty-area and he headed the ball past Zaid to make it 1-0.

Spain weren’t pressing too hard, but were keeping possession well, with cries of Olé ringing from the crowd.

Reyes made a break in the last minutes of the half, but there was no-one to support him and he had to have a shot on goal himself, which was parried away by Zaid, but still the Saudi’s couldn’t find a way through the Spanish defence and never troubled Canizares in goal.

The second-half was played at a very leisurely pace, with Saudi Arabia having a string of offside calls as they could find no way through the Spanish offside trap, and with Spain in no hurry to double their lead.

The Saudi’s started to get some attacks together as the hour-mark came, with Canizares being forced into his first real save of the match after a shot from distance from Hussein Sulimani which caused the keeper to fumble, but there was no-one there to take advantage.

As the half went on, Saudi Arabia, who should have been killed-off by the dominant Spanish, really started trying to get an equaliser, with Canizares being forced into some good saves from shots from Hussein Sulamani, who almost equalised for the Al Sugour in the 69th minute and a free-kick from Nawaf Al Temyat.

Spain were doing very little in the second-half and started getting frustrated, which gave the Saudi’s even more space, but they failed to make anything of their chances.

The game finished 1-0 to Spain, with the result meaning that they top Group H and will now face the runner-up of Group G, to be decided later tonight.

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