Villa hits hat-trick~as Spain shine

Villa struck twice in the first half and again in the second as the Spaniards thoroughly outclassed Guus Hiddink’s side. Roman Pavluchenko pulled a goal back with four minutes left but Cesc Fabregas wrapped-up victory in added time.

Valencia striker Villa is set to leave the Mestalla after the tournament and his performance in the Tivoli Neu Stadium will no doubt increase the number of prospective buyers and likewise, his price tag.

Arsenal midfielder Fabregas was left on the bench by boss Luis Aragones but Spain looked sharp and lively from the first whistle.

Fernando Torres’ first sight of goal came and went after eight minutes when the Reds hitman cut in from the left before dragging a weak effort wide of the near post. A minute later, Villa had his sighter, taking a Sergio Ramos pass on his chest before slicing high and wide from inside the box.

Semshov was off target for Russia before the Spaniards grabbed the lead on 20 minutes.

Joan Capdevila’s pass out of defence found Torres who was too quick and clever for Denis Kolodin before drawing keeper Igor Akinfeev off his line and slipping the ball square, giving Villa the simple task of side-footing into the empty net from 12 yards.

Konstatin Zyryanov was inches away from an equaliser two minutes later when his shot after a cut-back from the by-line crashed against the foot of the post but Spain remained in the ascendancy, with the movement of their front two simply too much for the Russians to handle.

Torres poked wide on 23 minutes from Villa’s pass before seconds later seeing his drive from outside the box parried by Akinfeev. Villa was also denied by the Russian stopper when his angled shot was parried at the near post.

Villa was not to be denied a minute before half-time however when Spain went two-up. Andres Iniesta teased the Russian back four before slotting a wonderful pass into the path of the Valencia striker, who slid the ball first-time through the legs of Akinfeev.

Fabregas was introduced eight minutes into the second-half, replacing a surprised Torres but Villa appeared not to miss his strike partner as he went in search of his hat-trick. He was denied by the diving Akinfeev on 57 minutes after being allowed to carry the ball to the edge of the box before two last-ditch challenges by Russian defenders deprived him of his treble.

Akinfeev was being kept busy, blocking Marcos Senna’s header while Carles Puyol had to be sharp to block a Roman Pavluchenko shot from the edge of the box before the CSKA Moscow keeper was beaten for a third time by the irrepressible Villa.

Fabregas provided the pass for the 26-year-old to bamboozle Roman Shirikov before rolling the ball past Akinfeev for his first interantional hat-trick.

Pavluchenko grabbed an 86th-minute consolation, heading home from close range after Zyryanov’s corner had been flicked on at the near post but Fabregas made the game safe, heading home in injury-time from what looked like an offside position after Akinfeev’s fine save.