Alvaro Morata has given Spain a 1-0 lead over Ukraine at half time in the Group C Euro 2016 qualifier in Seville this evening.

The hosts came close to opening the scoring just five minutes in when Andres Iniesta crossed the ball in for Morata, but Viacheslav Shevchuk was ready to make the clearance.

Morata continued to press as he looked for his first senior goal for Spain, and he had another opportunity when Iniesta picked him out again, but this time he fired wide.

Andriy Pyatov was tested between the posts as Koke tried his luck from range, but the Ukraine keeper watched it all the way, punching it behind.

The visitors tried to create something on the counter-attack, with the best chance falling to Ruslan Rotan, but he could only curl the ball wide from the edge of the area.

The defending European champions broke the deadlock with just under half an hour on the clock as Koke put the ball in for Morata, leaving the Juventus striker to chip the ball over Pyatov as the keeper rushed off his line.

Morata thought that he had added a second shortly before the break when he turned the ball in from close range, but the goal was ruled out as Juanfran had been offside in the build-up.

Written by
Sian Cowper