Spain suffered their first defeat in 37 qualification matches this evening as they went down 2-1 against Slovakia in their Euro 2016 qualifier.

La Roja thought that they had secured a point when Paco Alcacer cancelled out a first-half free kick from Juraj Kucka, but Miroslav Stoch headed a late winner for the home side.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Group C rivals.

Match statistics

Slovakia
Shots: 5
On target: 4
Possession: 33%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 15

Spain
Shots: 25
On target: 10
Possession: 67%
Corners: 19
Fouls: 15

Was the result fair?

In truth, Spain were unfortunate to lose this match. That isn't to say that La Roja were at their best - far from it - but they created enough chances and had enough of the ball to deserve at least a point. The home team must be credited for their defensive work, especially after taking a first-half lead, but there were periods during the match when they should have been punished for failing to keep possession. It looked as if the two teams would share the points, which would have been a fair result, but Stoch popped up late on to send the stadium into a frenzy. The statistics demonstrate that Spain dominated the contest as a whole, but a fair number of their attempts were from distance. Incredibly, it is Spain's first defeat in 37 qualification matches and also ends a run of 14 consecutive away victories in qualifiers.

Slovakia's performance

Having defeated Ukraine in their group opener last month, Slovakia entered the match full of confidence. As expected, they had to concede possession almost immediately and spent much of the contest without the ball. That said, whenever they had possession, they always looked a threat. Vladimir Weiss and Marek Hamsik were particularly impressive in the first period, but they did take the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas let a free klick from Kucka slip through his grasp. They spent much of the second period on the back foot, under constant pressure from the reigning champions, but head coach Jan Kozak made excellent substitutions as the second half unfolded, with Stoch ultimately making the difference late on. Their two standout performers, however, came in defensive areas, with skipper Martin Skrtel winning the physical battle with Diego Costa and goalkeeper Matus Kozacik making a number of brilliant saves.

Spain's performance

Spain opened their Group C campaign with a 5-1 win over Macedonia last month, but they never hit those heights this evening. As touched upon, it did not take long for La Roja to take control of possession, but too often they struggled to create clear chances in the final third. The statistics show that they had 25 attempts, 10 of which were on target, but a number of those efforts were from distance. On another day, however, they would have won this match. One of the main reasons for their failure was the performance of Kozacik in the Slovakian goal, who will never have a better evening for the rest of his career. That said, overall, it was a disappointing night for Spain. They had plenty of the ball - no surprises there - but could not provide decent service to Costa, with Cesc Fabregas and David Silva drifting in and out of the match. Casillas was at fault for Slovakia's first, but there was also some sloppy defending for the home side's second. There is certainly much to work on for manager Vicente del Bosque.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Matus Kozacik: This is not a difficult decision. The Slovakian goalkeeper was just sensational this evening. His best work in the first period came right at the end of the half when he produced a double save to deny Costa and Sergio Busquets in quick succession, and he continued that form in the second period. Costa should have broke his international duck this evening, but just could not find a way past the stopper, who also kept out the likes of Fabregas and Iniesta.

Biggest gaffe

Early on, Spain goalkeeper Casillas made a brilliant save to deny Robert Mak from close range. However, the Real Madrid stopper dropped a big clanger for the home side's opening goal some five minutes later. Kucka's free kick was powerful and had lots of swerve, but it was straight at the goalkeeper, who allowed the ball to slip into the back of the net. Questions surrounding his international future will now continue to gather pace.

Referee performance

Bjorn Kuipers had a fairly eventful night overall. The Dutchman issued seven yellow cards in total during what was a feisty contest, but he was guilty of stopping play too early in the first period - something which frustrated both sets of players. That said, the referee must be credited for the way that he dealt with flare-ups, and there were plenty in the second half.

What next?

Slovakia: Next up for Slovakia is a trip to Belarus on Sunday.

Spain: La Roja will look to recover when they travel to Luxembourg on Sunday evening.