Ukraine were consigned to the Euro 2016 play-offs after they lost 1-0 at home to Spain despite the reigning champions fielding a second-string side in their final Group C qualifying match.
Ukraine needed to better Slovakia’s result in Luxembourg to earn an automatic berth at the tournament in France next year but their fellow Eastern Europeans secured a 4-2 win to make sure of second place.
With Spain already assured of top spot, Vicente del Bosque fielded an experimental team at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, scene of Spain’s 4-0 triumph against Italy in the final of Euro 2012.
The full-back Mario Gaspar scored with a header on his debut to put Spain ahead in the 22nd minute and Cesc Fàbregas, captaining the side on his 100th international appearance, won a penalty moments later but had his effort saved by the Ukraine goalkeeper, Andriy Pyatov.
Spain’s eighth qualifying win in a row put them on 27 points from 10 matches and, for the first time, they have gone eight competitive matches without conceding. Slovakia have 22 points and Ukraine 19, eight ahead of fourth-placed Belarus.
Ukraine had a number of chances in the early stages and David de Gea, deputising for Iker Casillas in goal, made two brilliant saves to deny Artem Kravets and Ruslan Rotan after 15 minutes.
Spain made the breakthrough when Nolito sent Thiago Alcântara clear and his perfect cross to the far post was headed in by Gaspar with Pyatov stranded.
Nolito played Fàbregas in just after the restart and he was felled by Oleksandr Kucher but Pyatov flung out an arm to send the midfielder’s spot kick over the bar.
Fàbregas, the 10th player to reach 100 caps for Spain and the second-youngest after Sergio Ramos, has missed all four of his penalties for Spain, excluding shootouts.
Ukraine went close to an equaliser when Andriy Yarmolenko struck a shot against the frame of the goal in the 51st minute before Paco Alcácer was denied by another fine Pyatov save.
“It is a pity we did not take our chances,” the Ukraine coach, Mykhailo Fomenko, said. “We had plenty of opportunities but their goalkeeper was brilliant tonight.”
