Reigning champions Spain demolished minnows Luxembourg 4-0 last time out, and in so doing guaranteed themselves the chance to defend their European Championship crown in France next summer. Vicente del Bosque’s side are now an unassailable five points clear at the top of their group, and can afford to be a little more experimental in their final match away in Ukraine on Monday.
Spain vs. Ukraine live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Spain may have already qualified for Euro 2016, but their Ukrainian opponents still have everything to play for.
Denis Doyle/Getty Images
However, the hosts certainly won’t be taking any risks with their starting lineup, as they’ve still got everything to play for. They head into this clash level on points with second-placed Slovakia, though are behind on tiebreakers. That simply means they need to better Slovakia’s result against Luxembourg -- no easy feat against Spain, but stranger things have certainly happened. If not, Ukraine will have to settle for entering the dreaded playoff phase.
Key factor: How experimental will Spain get?
Vicente del Bosque has confirmed that he will make changes to the side that beat Luxembourg to guarantee qualification, though it remains to be seen quite how extensive his rotation will be. Paco Alcácer is expected to start after coming off the bench to bag a brace in their last outing, while the likes of Isco, Thiago Alcântara and Nolito could also be in the lineup. It'll still be a very formidable outfit, but Ukraine will be hoping Spain's added unfamiliarity contributes to a slightly more disjointed performance.
When they last met: Spain 1-0 Ukraine, Mar. 27, 2015
These sides met in the reverse fixture back in March, with Spain coming away with a 1-0 victory. It was a close game at Sevilla's Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, with a first half goal from Álvaro Morata the only difference between the sides. Though Spain dominated possession, Ukraine's defending helped to limit their chances. They'll certainly hope to enact a similar strategy in this match.
Match Date/Time: Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 9:45 p.m. local
Venue: Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kiev, Ukraine
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: Watch ESPN (U.S.), Sportsnet World Online (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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