Diego Costa ends drought as Spain recover poise in Euro qualifying

The Brazil-born Costa had failed to find the net for his adopted country in six previous appearances but broke a run lasting more than 500 minutes when he scored from close range in the 69th minute in a rain-lashed Luxembourg City. David Silva had opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a fine long-range shot and set up Paco Alcácer to make it 2-0 three minutes before half-time. The substitute Juan Bernat added the fourth two minutes from the end of the Group C game, the Guardian reported.

The European champions did not dispel doubts about their form following Thursday's surprise 2-1 defeat in Slovakia but the win put them back on track to qualify from a pool that also includes Ukraine, Belarus and Macedonia. With three matches played, Slovakia top the group on nine points after they won 3-1 in Belarus. Spain and Ukraine have six points, with Macedonia on three and Belarus and Luxembourg on one each.

The Spain coach, Vicente del Bosque, made four changes with David De Gea replacing the captain, Iker Casillas, in goal the most eye-catching. Casillas, a fixture for Spain for more than a decade, had committed another blunder against Slovakia. Cesc Fàbregas was also relegated to the bench. Fabio Capello's 100% record in home qualifying matches as Russia's manager came to an end in Moscow when his side were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by the Group G outsiders Moldova.

After six previous triumphs on home soil stretching back two years Capello's men looked on course for victory when their dominance was rewarded with Artem Dzyuba's 73rd-minute penalty, which he both earned and converted. But only a minute later Moldova equalised with their captain, Alexandru Epureanu, heading home from Alexandru Dedov's corner. Capello's plan to field an experimental side against lesser opposition, making six changes from the team which drew 1-1 in Sweden on Thursday, backfired.

Sweden, without their captain, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for a second straight game, struggled to convert their chances but still beat Liechtenstein 2-0. Their high-profile striker was confined to the bench with a persistent heel injury and the Swedes spent most of the first half-hour firing in a succession of crosses and peppering Cengiz Bicer in the Liechetenstein goal. But the visitors held firm. Erkan Zengin broke the deadlock after 34 minutes with his second goal in three qualifying games, his thumping shot taking a deflection off a defender and looping into the net.

Jimmy Durmaz doubled Sweden's advantage in the first minute of the second half after he stabbed the ball home from close range after Bicer sliced a left-footed clearance into his path. The win puts Sweden in third place in Group G on five points, the same number as Russia who are in second thanks to their superior goal difference. Austria lead the group on seven points having beaten Montenegro 1-0 earlier in the day.

Slovenia went second in Group E behind England after winning 2-0 in Lithuania, who now also have six points from three games. San Marino host Switzerland on Tuesday.