IFFHS MEN'S CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA
Picture : Joselu, in the game vs Norway (3-0), became the first player to score a brace on his debut for Spain since Fernando Morientes scored 2 goals vs Sweden on 25 March 1998 (4-0), and the first player in “La Roja” history overall to make this as a substitute.
Statistics on Euro 2024 qualifiers of 25 March
*Joselu has achieved his brace in just 4 minutes and 15 seconds after entering the pitch: the earliest brace scored by a rookie in the whole history of the Spanish national team. He surpassed Morientes who scored his 2 goals in the above mentioned game at 5 minutes and 40 seconds from the moment of his debut.
*Spain have won 31 out of their last 32 home Euro qualifiers. The only game during this run when they failed to win was a loss to Greece (0-1) on 7 June 2003.
Since then, “La Roja” won each of their 23 home Euro qualifiers. This is the longest home winning streak for any nation in the story of tournament.
*Besides, Spain have not lost since that defeat vs Greece any home qualifying match for both Euro and World Cup. This unbeaten streak is already made of 46 consecutive games.
*Another nation with a very long home unbeaten streak is Croatia. Starting this cycle with a draw vs Wales (1-1), they prolonged their unbeaten run in home Euro qualifiers to 36 games (27 wins, 9 draws).
Croatia remain the unique team to have never lost a home Euro qualifier.
*As for Wales, their peculiarity is late goals. From their last 7 goals in all competitions, 5 came in the final 10 minutes, and 3 of them in just the 90th minute or added time (including that one scored in Croatia).
*Like Joselu in Spain, Scott McTominay has scored a brace as a sub for Scotland (vs Cyprus 3-0). He is 5th player to do so in the history of Scottish national team, after David Hopkin (1997), Billy Dodds (1998), Chris Burke (2006) and Lyndon Dykes (2022).
*Renato Steffen has scored a hat-trick for Switzerland (vs Belarus 5-0) within just 29 starting minutes. Curiously, over all his previous 29 caps, he netted only once.