Spain pegged back by late Portugal equaliser

Morata side footed home at the end of a scintillating counter-attack and while Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half for Portugal, it was another substitute who grabbed the equaliser as Horta swept in with eight minutes left.

The Braga forward was making only his second appearance for Portugal, eight years after his first. "I feel proud," he said. "I deserve to be here and I wanted to show that."

A 1-1 draw means neither of the two favourites in Group A2 claim the early advantage, with games against Switzerland and Czech Republic to come. Spain play the Czechs in Prague on Sunday while Portugal are at home to Switzerland.

"We've had chances, we haven't scored and they equalised. We have to keep working," Morata said.

Both of these teams will be among those considered capable of winning the World Cup in Qatar later this year but it was Spain's youthful side that looked the more complete in a surprisingly feisty and energetic contest at the Benito Villamarin, coming on the back of another long and draining season.

Morata's goal makes him Spain's joint-seventh top-scorer in history, with 26 goals in 53 games, while Sergio Busquets made his 135th appearance for the national team, meaning he moves above Xavi Hernandez and sits behind only Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos on Spain's all-time list.

But it was the 17-year-old Gavi's run and pass that made Morata's goal and the Barcelona midfielder was arguably the outstanding player in the game, putting in another accomplished performance that impressed Luis Enrique.

"With Gavi I have the feeling he is still unknown in Spanish football," Luis Enrique said. "Not only does he run and fight, defensively he's fantastic, but offensively he is good as well. He can score, shoot with both