Date: 23-03-1989
Stage:
Place: SEVILLA
Running time: 110 min.
Colour: BW
Quality: HD 1080 50fps (9)
Commentary: spanish
My rating: **
Notes: Butragueno,Michel,Begiristain
More about this match
Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Marcel van Langenhove (BEL)
SPAIN
Zubizarreta – Quique, Andrinua, Gorriz, Jiménez – Roberto, Eusebio, Míchel – Butragueño, Salinas, Begiristain
Substitutes: Bakero, Górriz, Manolo
Coach: Luis Suárez
MALTA
Bonello – Azzopardi, Dimech, Muscat, Spiteri – Busuttil, S. Saliba, Chetcuti – Fenech, W. Vella, Camilleri
Substitutes: Farrugia, Mifsud, Grima
Coach: Horst Heese
Goals: 11′ Butragueño, 34′ Salinas, 58′ Míchel, 75′ Manolo
Match overview
Spain delivered a comfortable 4–0 win over Malta in Seville, reaffirming their superiority in Group 6 of the World Cup qualifiers. From the first whistle, the Spanish side displayed total control of possession and tempo, pinning Malta deep in their own half.
Butragueño opened the scoring early with a composed finish, followed by Salinas who doubled the lead before halftime. In the second half, Míchel added a third with a brilliant individual effort, and substitute Manolo sealed the result with a neat strike from inside the box.
Despite their defensive effort, Malta struggled to contain Spain’s fluid attack and rarely threatened going forward. The match was a professional and efficient performance from La Roja, who remained on course for qualification.
Trivia
This match came just five years after Spain’s historic 12–1 win over Malta in 1983. Although the scoreline was far more modest this time, the fixture still carried symbolic weight and drew significant attention from fans and media alike.
