Northern Ireland’s three-game unbeaten streak ended with a decisive 5-1 loss to Spain at the Son Moix Stadium.
Michael O’Neill’s team initially took the lead with a Daniel Ballard header in the second minute, but Spain’s quality shone through, especially in a first half where they scored four goals.
Sixteen-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal impressed again, as Spain equalized through Pedri just 10 minutes after falling behind.
Goals from Alvaro Morata, another from Pedri, and Fabián Ruiz put Spain up 4-1 by halftime, with substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scoring the only goal of the second half.
Luis de la Fuente’s squad now shifts their focus to Euro 2024, starting their campaign on June 15 against Croatia.
The match marked the international debut for St Mirren midfielder Caolan Boyd-Munce, whose precise delivery found Daniel Ballard’s head for Northern Ireland’s early lead.
Only 69 seconds into the game, Sunderland defender Ballard rose to meet Boyd-Munce’s cross, directing his header over Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon, who got a hand on it but couldn’t keep it out.
Northern Ireland’s lead lasted just 10 minutes as Spain quickly took control of possession. Despite Northern Ireland’s recent success with limited possession, especially against Scotland, they struggled to relieve the pressure in this match.
Spain’s relentless high pressing saw their full-backs push so far forward that it often appeared they had only Nacho and Robin le Normand at the back. This created significant challenges for Northern Ireland on the flanks.
Spain’s equalizer came when Rodri, given too much space in midfield, fired into the corner from 25 yards. However, Spain looked most threatening with their wide deliveries.
Spain moved ahead 2-1 at the 19-minute mark when Jesus Navas delivered a brilliant cross from the right, which Alvaro Morata nodded home via the post. They extended their lead 10 minutes later when the dangerous Nico Williams surged down the opposite wing and pulled back for Pedri to score.
Five minutes after that, Lamine Yamal showcased his skill, twisting and turning before delivering a precise ball into the Northern Ireland box for Fabián Ruiz to finish.
Despite Spain’s dominance, Northern Ireland had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit before halftime. Unai Simon parried Shea Charles’ effort from the edge of the box, but Isaac Price blazed over the bar when Jamie Reid poked the rebound his way.
A flurry of substitutions caused the game to lose momentum, and it wasn’t until the hour mark that Spain added to their lead. Northern Ireland felt they deserved a free-kick when Price was dispossessed by Yamal, but the officials saw no foul. Yamal’s pull-back allowed substitute Mikel Oyarzabal to tap in at the near post, following his hat-trick against Andorra earlier in the week.
With their Euro 2024 opener approaching, Spain’s first-half intensity waned in the second half, giving Northern Ireland more opportunities. Bailey Peacock-Farrell had less to do as the game progressed. Northern Ireland nearly scored when Price, set up by Dale Taylor, was denied by Simon.
Ballard also had a chance from a threatening set-piece but couldn’t make the right connection. Joselu had the last significant chance of the match, firing over from ten yards out.
While Spain heads to the Euros as one of the favorites, Northern Ireland’s players will look to finish their season on a high note against Andorra in Murcia on Tuesday night.