Spain demonstrated passion, quality and an ability to keep their heads in order to get the job done and secure their place at the European Championships. Up against Georgia on Sunday evening, Spain cemented their status as contenders for next year's major tournament in Germany.

The coach went with an almost entirely different starting 11 from the one that beat Cyprus in Limassol on Thursday, with Le Normand and Gavi the only players keeping their places in the side.

Spain came out determined to push on and dominate the game in front of a packed out José Zorrilla stadium, which shortly after was bursting with excitement thanks to a successful set-piece routine straight off the training ground.

A Fran Torres cross from free-kick four minutes in following a foul on Nico Williams was inch-perfect to the far post where Robin Le Normand got up for the header to send the ball into the back of the net to the absolute delight of the passionate crowd.

It was the centre-back's first goal for Spain, however, soon after Spain's path to victory became somewhat more complicated. Penetrative counter attacks from the Georgians stemming from quick play in the transitions soon after saw Chakvetadze thread a ball through to Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia, who slotted calmly past an outrushing Unai.

With it all square on the scoreboard once again, the worst news of the night was about to come in the form of a nasty looking injury to Gavi, who fell awkwardly and appeared to twist his right knee.

Spain now wanted to fight for the victory to dedicate it to the young Andalusian talent, and De la Fuente's side were pushing and probing at the Georgian backline constantly, with Morata and Rodrigo both having good chances before the break.

They had to wait until just 10 minutes after the restart to get their second goal, once again it was a header that proved Spain's most fruitful way of breaking through. Gayà was on the right wing and he put in a perfectly placed looping cross into the back post that Ferran Torres, cutting in from his wing, headed down and wide of Mamardashvili's reach, with Torres then celebrating by paying homage to Gavi's shirt.

Back in front again, the national team kept composure and possession and had their best period of the match, with the coach keeping things fresh with substitutions before Georgia defender Lochoshvili added one more to the scoreline with an unintentional deflected header into his own net, and with that, we saw the last goal of the game..

3-1 in the end, and first place in the group secured for us to enjoy top seed status in the draw on 2 December in Hamburg.

Euro 2024 now awaits us in June of next year, in what is a 2024 full of hope following a 2023 that has seen Spain win the European Nations League trophy and now aspiring to push on and dominate the entire continent.