Nations League: Spain edge Switzerland, Joachim Low 'satisfied' after Germany claim first win

Oyarzabal scores only goal in Madrid while Ginter and Goretzka find the nets in Kiev before Malinovskyi converts a late penalty for the hosts

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  Spain's players celebrate after taking the lead during the UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium in Madrid. EPA

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  Switzerland's Ruben Vargas fights for the ball against Spain's Sergio Canales. EPA

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  Switzerland's Haris Seferovic fights for the ball against Spain's Sergio Busquets. EPA

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  Spain's Mikel Oyarzaba shoots but fails to score with the ball hitting the post. AP

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  Spain's Sergio Busquets, left shakes hands with Sergio Ramos at the end of the UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland. AP

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  Spain's Adama Traore in action during the UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland. EPA

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  Spain players celebrate at the end of the UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland. AFP

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  Germany's Leon Goretzka and Ukraine's Oleksandr Zubkov challenge for the ball during the UEFA Nations League match at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev. AP

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  Ukraine's Ruslan Malinovskyi scores from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League match against Germany. AP Photo

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  Germany's Leon Goretzka celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal. AFP

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  Germany's Matthias Ginter takes on Ukraine's Viktor Tsygankov during the UEFA Nations League match. EPA

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  Germany's Leon Goretzka wins a header in front of Ukraine's Serhiy Sydorchuk. EPA

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  Germany's Serge Gnabry misses a chance to score during the UEFA Nations League match against Ukraine. Getty Images

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  Germany's Matthias Ginter celebrates teammates after scoring the opening goal against Ukraine. EPA

Spain and Germany both produced wins on Saturday night to take control of League A Group 4 in the Uefa Nations League.

Mikel Oyarzabal pounced on a horror slip by Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka to seal a 1-0 victory for Spain, while Germany beat Ukraine 2-1 in Kiev.

At the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano in Madrid, usually home of Real Madrid's reserve side, Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal struck in the 14th minute.

Switzerland boldly tried to play out from the back, but Xhaka slipped as he sought to collect goalkeeper Yann Sommer's pass.

Mikel Merino pounced and threaded the ball through to clubmate Oyarzabal, who finished superbly past Sommer.

"I am happy for the victory and for adding three points," Oyarzabal told Spanish television. "We knew that (Switzerland) were a powerful team, that they liked to play a lot and that they had fewer points than they deserved.

"We also knew they were risking a lot from behind and we wanted to pressure them because we believed we could rob them and hurt them and that's the way it worked out."

Switzerland thought they had an equaliser as Xherdan Shaqiri pivoted and sent the ball spiralling into the Spanish net. But it was not to be as the referee handed Atalanta's Remo Freuler a yellow card for a foul on Sergio Busquets in the build-up.

Unbeaten run extended

Luis Enrique's side then contented themselves with seeing out the game, extending to 14 their current unbeaten run. They have also not lost in Madrid in 20 games dating back to 1987.

"It was not an easy game, it was not a game in which we have been especially fluid," said Enrique. "We took advantage of hard pressing to score the goal and then we had further opportunities to close down the game, but without luck."

The Spaniards top their group, having kicked off with a creditable 1-1 away draw against Germany before a sparkling 4-0 victory over Ukraine, whom they now face on Tuesday.

Low 'satisfied'

In Kiev, Germany picked up a first win in their Nations League group with a workmanlike 2-1 away victory over the Ukrainians.

Defender Matthias Ginter gave Germany a first-half lead, then Leon Goretzka capitalised on a horrible mistake by the Ukraine goalkeeper before Ruslan Malinovskyi converted a late penalty for the hosts.

Germany manager Joachim Low said he was "satisfied" with the away win, but admitted "we should have been three or four goals ahead before they scored".

After drawing their opening Nations League games against Spain and Switzerland, then being held 3-3 by Turkey in a friendly on Wednesday, the win lifted Germany to second in the group behind Spain.

However, Germany can expect a much tougher task against the Swiss in Cologne on Tuesday and should have scored more having enjoyed around 75 per cent possession against a weakened Ukraine side