Spain 2-1 Norway: 3 takeaways from the match

Spain defeated Norway 2-1 in a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2020 yesterday at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. Rodrigo and captain Sergio Ramos scored for Spain, while Norway pulled one back through Joshua King - both sides converting a penalty in the second-half.

The win saw Spain top Group F after one group game, while Norway - who have not qualified for the European Championships since 2000 - were rooted firmly at the bottom. La Roja were unsurprisingly dominant throughout with possession and chances, as Norway defended in numbers and attacked when they could.

However, their efforts were not enough, as Spain sealed a narrow victory. With all of that in mind, we now take a look at three takeaways from last night's encounter:

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#3 Spain fielded some young, relatively inexperienced players

Dani Ceballos, 22, started as part of a midfield trio against Norway

On this occasion, Spain started with some young and inexperienced players including Dani Ceballos, Dani Parejo and Rodrigo. Despite their obvious quality, the trio only have 24 caps between them, while a 4-3-3 formation saw the latter combine with Marco Asensio and Álvaro Morata in attack.

Asensio found an overlapping Jordi Alba on the left flank with an incisive through ball after 15 minutes, who in turn delivered a wonderful delivery into the box. Rodrigo made no mistake, volleying home from close-range to break the deadlock.

Asensio was again superb for Spain, continuing to cut into central areas from the left-hand side while playing some nice passes to teammates. Rodrigo and Morata troubled the Norwegian defenders with their nimble movement in-and-around the box.

Rodrigo particularly was a livewire throughout and quite possibly Spain's best performer on the evening. Parejo and Ceballos were not direct enough to pose many problems - though the latter contributed defensively to support Sergio Busquets and nullify Norway's counter-attacks.

Without the presence of Juan Mata and Saul Niguez in their squad, Luis Enrique entrusted his youngsters and Inigo Martinez partnered the veteran Ramos - enjoying a solid display on his sixth senior cap. Spain themselves are going through a rebuilding phase at present and should be able to find the perfect balance between youth and experience in their final squad for EURO 2020.

#2 Navas and Alba played really well

Navas enjoyed a good display on his return to international football

Veteran Jesus Navas made his return to the starting line-up last night in place of Dani Carvajal. The 33-year-old earned his 35th cap and performed reasonably well, after being recalled following consistent displays for Sevilla this season. Navas made a number of overlapping runs in the first-half, while his final product was encouraging too. Alba was also excellent in attack, providing the assist for Rodrigo's opener.

However, both were more reserved after the break and contributed more defensively. Alba had fallen out of favour with Enrique a few months ago and was subsequently dropped from the national team.

He forced his way back into contention though, after excellent performances for Barcelona this term. With 67 caps to his name, there's no reason - injury permitting - he shouldn't be involved in the final EURO 2020 squad, especially with displays like this one.

#1 Spain changed their shape, as midfielders struggled to create

Morata in action against Norway

Spain's inexperienced central midfielders struggled to create goalscoring opportunities and provide crucial through balls into their forward players. Both Ceballos and Parejo predominantly remained in the middle third for sustained periods and consequently, their attackers lacked regular service in the final third.

Needing at least one of their central midfielders to play more assertively, the second-half saw Morata take advantage of a defensive mistake before goalkeeper Rune Jarstein hauled him to the ground in the area. Ramos converted from the spot, before Spain's forwards fell back into the middle to collect passes and switched their formation to a 4-4-2, where Asensio switched to the left midfield and Rodrigo partnered Morata on the right-hand side.

Morata had a decent individual outing, earning a penalty while also persisting in his efforts to trouble the Norwegian backline with incisive runs. He missed a few promising opportunities too, but it was an encouraging all-round display.