Spain beat Georgia 2-0 to edge closer to World Cup spot

ELCHE, Spain :Spain continued their dominant World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Georgia after goals from Jeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal at Elche's Manuel Martinez Valero stadium on Saturday.

The win extended the European champions' perfect run in Group E as they edge closer to a place at the 2026 tournament having scored 11 goals in three matches without conceding.

Spain are top with nine points, three ahead of Turkey, while Georgia remain third on three. Bulgaria sit bottom, having suffered three consecutive defeats.

Despite the absence of players such as Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri due to injuries, Luis de la Fuente's Spain side showcased their superiority against a Georgia team that spent most of the match defending deep.

Spain dominated the match with over 80 per cent possession and Georgia did not have one shot on target or create a scoring opportunity. The hosts were thwarted by Giorgi Mamardashvili, though, as the goalkeeper was determined to prevent a rout.

Pino opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a well-executed set-piece routine. Pedri delivered a free kick from the left into the box, where defender Robin Le Normand provided an assist for Pino to finish into an empty net from close range.

Georgia's defence faltered four minutes later when Saba Goglichidze's misplaced back-pass led to Mamardashvili tripping Ferran Torres in the area.

However, the keeper made amends by diving low to his left to save Torres' spot-kick. Mamardashvili was in top form all night, also saving Pedro Porro's long-range effort in the 30th minute.

Mikel Merino missed a golden opportunity to double the lead before halftime, firing over the crossbar from close range.

In the second half,