Vicente Del Bosque's men were far from their best as they struggled to break down the determined hosts, but a timely goal from the Valencia striker gave them the points in the end
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Spain's journey to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil got off to a stuttering start, after a narrow 1-0 win against Georgia in the opening qualifying match in Group 1 at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium.
The defending world and European champions kept the hosts pinned back in their own half for the vast majority of the contest, but struggled to find a way through their defensive ranks as chances remained at a premium.
Georgia defended admirably throughout, but their resistance was broken four minutes from the end by Roberto Soldado, who swept home from close range to give Spain a win they barely deserved.
The Valencia man started as the lone striker as Fernando Torres, who captained the team to a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in his 100th cap on Friday, was dropped to the bench.
As expected, Spain wasted little time in snatching control of possession, but was made to work hard to find an opening by a Georgia team who had no interest in pressing forward.
Chances were few and far between for the European champions, with a saved Sergio Ramos header from a corner about the best they could muster in a tepid opening 20 minutes.
Spain only seemed to find space once outside the penalty area, though David Silva almost took advantage of that development with a stinging drive that cannoned off the inside of the post, with Giorgi Loria completely beaten.
It was difficult to tell whether Georgia’s sheer numbers at the back proved effective in throwing Spain off their game, or if the visitors’ lethargy was simply down to a lack of urgency in the attacking third.
The first period seemed destined to finish scoreless, though a late flourish from Del Bosque’s men nearly put paid to such inevitability in the dying minutes of the half.
Xavi was at the heart of things, first taking aim from 25 yards out and forcing Loria to tip over at full stretch, before playing in Soldado on goal, with Loria again alert to make the save.
Georgia nearly stunned the European champions early in the second half, who failed to properly defend a rare break forward, which saw Aleksander Amisulashvili strike the base of the post from inside the box.
It was an aberration, no doubt, but it did not lessen the defensive diligence of the hosts in the slightest, as the pattern from the first half repeated itself.
Spain remained camped around the penalty area, but labored to find an opening, as they were faced by wave after wave of white shirts determined to hold the score.
However, the home side were handed a blow in the 73rd minute when Loria was forced off after colliding with his own player, with reserve keeper Roin Kvaskhvadze coming on in his place.
"It was an unforgettable season. I don't put goals and numbers on my seasons, although I think the more titles the better," explained Messi, speaking to ESPN Deportes. "At the beginning of the season I come out wanting everything, goals, titles, but a championship would be very desired by me."
The 25-year-old also spoke warmly of former manager Pep Guardiola, who upon his arrival to the club, kept their spirits high during a barren trophy-less spell.
"The morale in the dressing room was very bad, and he changed everything with his desire to win, his trust and his way of working. He treated every game the same," explained the Argentine.
The defending world and European champions kept the hosts pinned back in their own half for the vast majority of the contest, but struggled to find a way through their defensive ranks as chances remained at a premium.
Georgia defended admirably throughout, but their resistance was broken four minutes from the end by Roberto Soldado, who swept home from close range to give Spain a win they barely deserved.
The Valencia man started as the lone striker as Fernando Torres, who captained the team to a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in his 100th cap on Friday, was dropped to the bench.
Chances were few and far between for the European champions, with a saved Sergio Ramos header from a corner about the best they could muster in a tepid opening 20 minutes.
Spain only seemed to find space once outside the penalty area, though David Silva almost took advantage of that development with a stinging drive that cannoned off the inside of the post, with Giorgi Loria completely beaten.
It was difficult to tell whether Georgia’s sheer numbers at the back proved effective in throwing Spain off their game, or if the visitors’ lethargy was simply down to a lack of urgency in the attacking third.
The first period seemed destined to finish scoreless, though a late flourish from Del Bosque’s men nearly put paid to such inevitability in the dying minutes of the half.
Xavi was at the heart of things, first taking aim from 25 yards out and forcing Loria to tip over at full stretch, before playing in Soldado on goal, with Loria again alert to make the save.
Georgia nearly stunned the European champions early in the second half, who failed to properly defend a rare break forward, which saw Aleksander Amisulashvili strike the base of the post from inside the box.
It was an aberration, no doubt, but it did not lessen the defensive diligence of the hosts in the slightest, as the pattern from the first half repeated itself.
Spain remained camped around the penalty area, but labored to find an opening, as they were faced by wave after wave of white shirts determined to hold the score.
However, the home side were handed a blow in the 73rd minute when Loria was forced off after colliding with his own player, with reserve keeper Roin Kvaskhvadze coming on in his place.
Messi: I would rather win titles than score goals
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"It was an unforgettable season. I don't put goals and numbers on my seasons, although I think the more titles the better," explained Messi, speaking to ESPN Deportes. "At the beginning of the season I come out wanting everything, goals, titles, but a championship would be very desired by me."
The 25-year-old also spoke warmly of former manager Pep Guardiola, who upon his arrival to the club, kept their spirits high during a barren trophy-less spell.
"The morale in the dressing room was very bad, and he changed everything with his desire to win, his trust and his way of working. He treated every game the same," explained the Argentine.
Hungary 1-4 Netherlands: Lens gives hosts double vision
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Netherlands have recorded a 4-1 away win over Hungary in Tuesday's 2014 World Cup qualifier at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium in Budapest.
Jeremain Lens broke the deadlock for Holland early in the game, only to see Balazs Dzsudzsak level the scoring again minutes later. Nevertheless, Bruno Martins Indi restoredOranje's lead before the interval, while Lens doubled his personal tally after the break. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then put the match to bed with an easy finish.
The away side started the match superbly and needed only three minutes to open the scoring. Wesley Sneijder found Luciano Narsingh down the right, who then played a quick one-two with Robin van Persie. The PSV winger reached Lens inside the area with a good cross, and the 24-year-old beat Hungary shot stopper Adam Bogdan with a placed header.
However, Hungary weren't impressed too much and restored parity only four minutes later. Zoltan Gera went to the ground inside the box after a challenge from Jordy Clasie, and the referee quickly pointed to the spot. Dzsudzsak kept his calm from 12 yards and slotted home with ease.
Oranje took over the initiative again after the equaliser and deservedly went up once more in the 19th minute. Sneijder curled in a perfect free kick toward the far post, where the unmarked Martins Indi was waiting to head home his first international goal.
Lens should have made it 3-1 shortly after following some sloppy defending from Vilmos Vanczak and Vladimir Koman, but the PSV attacker’s weak attempt through the middle was an easy prey for Bogdan.
Nevertheless, the former AZ star did get his second of the game after the interval. Left back Akos Elek intercepted Sneijder's pass for Narsingh, but headed it straight into the path of Lens, whose left-footed volley proved to be too much for Bogdan.
The Hungarians started pushing forward after Holland's third goal and came close to pegging one back in the 58th minute. Vanczak set up Tamas Priskin with a nice through ball, but Maarten Stekelenburg showed his class with a fine safe to deny the striker from close range.
Sneijder almost added his name to the score sheet as well with a powerful long range strike, but the Inter playmaker's shot came back off the crossbar, with Ricardo van Rhijn blasting the rebound high and wide.
A quickly taken free kick did extend Netherlands' lead shortly after as Lens set up substitute Huntelaar, who had no trouble finding the empty net. The Schalke man should have netted his second well into stoppage time, but aimed wide from inside the area
Jeremain Lens broke the deadlock for Holland early in the game, only to see Balazs Dzsudzsak level the scoring again minutes later. Nevertheless, Bruno Martins Indi restoredOranje's lead before the interval, while Lens doubled his personal tally after the break. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then put the match to bed with an easy finish.
The away side started the match superbly and needed only three minutes to open the scoring. Wesley Sneijder found Luciano Narsingh down the right, who then played a quick one-two with Robin van Persie. The PSV winger reached Lens inside the area with a good cross, and the 24-year-old beat Hungary shot stopper Adam Bogdan with a placed header.
However, Hungary weren't impressed too much and restored parity only four minutes later. Zoltan Gera went to the ground inside the box after a challenge from Jordy Clasie, and the referee quickly pointed to the spot. Dzsudzsak kept his calm from 12 yards and slotted home with ease.
Oranje took over the initiative again after the equaliser and deservedly went up once more in the 19th minute. Sneijder curled in a perfect free kick toward the far post, where the unmarked Martins Indi was waiting to head home his first international goal.
Lens should have made it 3-1 shortly after following some sloppy defending from Vilmos Vanczak and Vladimir Koman, but the PSV attacker’s weak attempt through the middle was an easy prey for Bogdan.
Nevertheless, the former AZ star did get his second of the game after the interval. Left back Akos Elek intercepted Sneijder's pass for Narsingh, but headed it straight into the path of Lens, whose left-footed volley proved to be too much for Bogdan.
The Hungarians started pushing forward after Holland's third goal and came close to pegging one back in the 58th minute. Vanczak set up Tamas Priskin with a nice through ball, but Maarten Stekelenburg showed his class with a fine safe to deny the striker from close range.
Sneijder almost added his name to the score sheet as well with a powerful long range strike, but the Inter playmaker's shot came back off the crossbar, with Ricardo van Rhijn blasting the rebound high and wide.
A quickly taken free kick did extend Netherlands' lead shortly after as Lens set up substitute Huntelaar, who had no trouble finding the empty net. The Schalke man should have netted his second well into stoppage time, but aimed wide from inside the area
Austria 1-2 Germany: Ozil and Reus earn victory in Vienna
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Germany was made to work hard for its 2-1 victory over Austria in Vienna as Joachim Low's side earned a second straight win in their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Marco Reus gave the hosts the visitors on the stroke of halftime, and Mesut Ozil made it two from the penalty shot shortly after the break. However, Zlatko Junuzovic ensured a nervy ending to match, but die Nationalmannschaft had done enough.
Germany may have gone into the break a goal to the good, but in truth either side could, and perhaps should have taken the lead long before the deadlock was eventually broken.
Just a couple of minutes were on the clock when Mats Hummels sprayed a wayward pass to Julian Baumgartlinger, who sent an inch-perfect ball to Martin Harnik. The Stuttgart star was preparing himself to apply the finish, Holger Badstuber got across to make a fantastic tackle and save his defensive partner's blushes.
Seconds later, a calamitous defensive error almost led to a goal at the other end as Robert Almer sliced a clearance with Miroslav Klose lurking, but the ball bounced kindly out of play, and away from the 34-year-old.
Harnik and Andreas Ivanschitz had driven a long-range effort apiece wide, before Germany finally started to click. Toni Kroos had a couple of shots from distance which failed to break the deadlock, and Thomas Muller brilliantly met Mesut Ozil's free kick, only for Almer to get down low and make an excellent save.
Austria had appeals for a penalty turned down when Badstuber appeared to fell Harnik after the Stuttgart man reacted quickly to a quickly-taken throw, and a poor clearance from Neuer almost teed up Baumgartlinger, but the visitors were about to strike.
Miroslav Klose collected the ball with his back to goal and teased a cute ball in to Reus, who coolly cut inside Gyorgy Garics and passed the ball into the bottom corner.
German nerves were finally settled, and it began the second half in the same manner it ended the first. Toni Kroos attempted to cut the ball back from the byline to Muller, only for Veli Kavlak to clatter into the Bayern attacker, and Ozil made no mistake from the spot.
The Real Madrid playmaker almost created another instantly, but Mario Gotze, who had expertly taken the ball around Almer saw his effort rightly disallowed. Had it counted, the contest would have been over.
However, the two-goal lead lasted for just a matter of minutes. Marko Arnautovic raced down the right wing, left Marcel Schmelzer for dead and delivered a delicious ball into the middle of the park, and Junuzovic darted in front of the static Hummels and diverted it home.
Marco Reus gave the hosts the visitors on the stroke of halftime, and Mesut Ozil made it two from the penalty shot shortly after the break. However, Zlatko Junuzovic ensured a nervy ending to match, but die Nationalmannschaft had done enough.
Germany may have gone into the break a goal to the good, but in truth either side could, and perhaps should have taken the lead long before the deadlock was eventually broken.
Just a couple of minutes were on the clock when Mats Hummels sprayed a wayward pass to Julian Baumgartlinger, who sent an inch-perfect ball to Martin Harnik. The Stuttgart star was preparing himself to apply the finish, Holger Badstuber got across to make a fantastic tackle and save his defensive partner's blushes.
Seconds later, a calamitous defensive error almost led to a goal at the other end as Robert Almer sliced a clearance with Miroslav Klose lurking, but the ball bounced kindly out of play, and away from the 34-year-old.
Harnik and Andreas Ivanschitz had driven a long-range effort apiece wide, before Germany finally started to click. Toni Kroos had a couple of shots from distance which failed to break the deadlock, and Thomas Muller brilliantly met Mesut Ozil's free kick, only for Almer to get down low and make an excellent save.
Austria had appeals for a penalty turned down when Badstuber appeared to fell Harnik after the Stuttgart man reacted quickly to a quickly-taken throw, and a poor clearance from Neuer almost teed up Baumgartlinger, but the visitors were about to strike.
Miroslav Klose collected the ball with his back to goal and teased a cute ball in to Reus, who coolly cut inside Gyorgy Garics and passed the ball into the bottom corner.
German nerves were finally settled, and it began the second half in the same manner it ended the first. Toni Kroos attempted to cut the ball back from the byline to Muller, only for Veli Kavlak to clatter into the Bayern attacker, and Ozil made no mistake from the spot.
The Real Madrid playmaker almost created another instantly, but Mario Gotze, who had expertly taken the ball around Almer saw his effort rightly disallowed. Had it counted, the contest would have been over.
However, the two-goal lead lasted for just a matter of minutes. Marko Arnautovic raced down the right wing, left Marcel Schmelzer for dead and delivered a delicious ball into the middle of the park, and Junuzovic darted in front of the static Hummels and diverted it home.
Italy 2-0 Malta: Azzurri earn points in unconvincing fashion
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Italy racked up its first 2014 World Cup qualification win in Modena on Tuesday night, but in the most underwhelming fashion, Cesare Prandelli's men stuttering their way to a 2-0 win over Group B minnows Malta.
Mattia Destro opened the scoring with just over five minutes gone but the Azzurri failed dismally to build on their early advantage and struggled terribly to break down a side ranked 139th in the world.
Indeed, Federico Peluso's last-gasp header was scarcely deserved in light of such an insipid display from the Euro 2012 runners-up.
While Italy had looked very vulnerable in their 2-2 draw with Bulgaria last Friday, that they performed so poorly against Malta was surprising given it could not have hoped for a better start.
Indeed, less than six minutes had elapsed when Claudio Marchisio split the Malta defense with a measured ball from the middle of the park that Destro allowed to drift across him before coolly prodding past Andrew Hogg in the Malta goal.
With the Euro 2012 runner-up having made such an early breakthrough, a rout looked a distinct possibility and the Azzurri quickly set about trying to secure a two-goal cushion.
Pablo Osvaldo threatened twice either side of a well-struck Alessandro Diamanti freekick that Hogg did well to turn over the bar, the Roma striker first heading wide from a corner before then being denied by a splendidly-timed last-gasp challenge from Luke Dimech.
However, Italy soon ran out of ideas and Malta even began to threaten on the counterattack as a half which had begun so brightly quickly fizzled out.
Cesare Prandelli unsurprisingly responded to his side’s lackluster offensive display by replacing the dreadfully ineffective Diamanti with Lorenzo Insigne, who injected some badly needed excitement into the game.
Indeed, the Napoli forward’s quick feed and direct running caused the Maltese defense no end of trouble and it was from an Insigne pass that fellow substitute Giampaolo Pazzini should have doubled Italy’s advantage. However, the in-form AC Milan striker could only side-foot the ball wide from the edge of the six-yard area.
Pazzini, who proved far more of a handful than the man he had replaced, Osvaldo, threatened twice more before Italy finally grabbed a second right a death, with Peluso's near-post header from an Andrea Pirlo corner somehow finding its way past Hogg.
Mattia Destro opened the scoring with just over five minutes gone but the Azzurri failed dismally to build on their early advantage and struggled terribly to break down a side ranked 139th in the world.
Indeed, Federico Peluso's last-gasp header was scarcely deserved in light of such an insipid display from the Euro 2012 runners-up.
While Italy had looked very vulnerable in their 2-2 draw with Bulgaria last Friday, that they performed so poorly against Malta was surprising given it could not have hoped for a better start.
Indeed, less than six minutes had elapsed when Claudio Marchisio split the Malta defense with a measured ball from the middle of the park that Destro allowed to drift across him before coolly prodding past Andrew Hogg in the Malta goal.
With the Euro 2012 runner-up having made such an early breakthrough, a rout looked a distinct possibility and the Azzurri quickly set about trying to secure a two-goal cushion.
Pablo Osvaldo threatened twice either side of a well-struck Alessandro Diamanti freekick that Hogg did well to turn over the bar, the Roma striker first heading wide from a corner before then being denied by a splendidly-timed last-gasp challenge from Luke Dimech.
However, Italy soon ran out of ideas and Malta even began to threaten on the counterattack as a half which had begun so brightly quickly fizzled out.
Cesare Prandelli unsurprisingly responded to his side’s lackluster offensive display by replacing the dreadfully ineffective Diamanti with Lorenzo Insigne, who injected some badly needed excitement into the game.
Indeed, the Napoli forward’s quick feed and direct running caused the Maltese defense no end of trouble and it was from an Insigne pass that fellow substitute Giampaolo Pazzini should have doubled Italy’s advantage. However, the in-form AC Milan striker could only side-foot the ball wide from the edge of the six-yard area.
Pazzini, who proved far more of a handful than the man he had replaced, Osvaldo, threatened twice more before Italy finally grabbed a second right a death, with Peluso's near-post header from an Andrea Pirlo corner somehow finding its way past Hogg.
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