Spain defender Joan Capdevila feels his side were deserving winners in the end against FYR Macedonia, but admits it was not a vintage performance from the European champions.

The Spanish looked on course to suffer only their second defeat since 2006 when they fell 2-0 behind inside the opening 32 minutes of last night's friendly in Skopje, with Goran Pandev netting both goals after twice breaking the visitors` offside trap.

However, Vicente del Bosque's side bounced back from a below-par display in the opening period and turned the game on its head with three goals in rapid succession immediately after the break from Fernando Torres, Gerard Pique and Albert Riera.

That was enough to secure a 3-2 victory and the 15th win in 16 games since Del Bosque replaced Luis Aragones last summer, but it was a tough night for a side who are considered one of the favourites to win next year`s World Cup.

It was a difficult game for the date that it was played and many of us have come into the match without a rest, but we deserved to win.
Spain defender Joan Capdevila.

"It was two different halves. In the first they started off well and with more rhythm than us. In the second we were superior and we deserved to take the game," said Capdevila.

"I think we can draw good conclusions from the game and that's good for the future. It was a difficult game for the date that it was played and many of us have come into the match without a rest, but we deserved to win."

Capdevila`s Villarreal team-mate Santi Cazorla added: "It was not an easy game at all and any team can make life difficult for you, as we saw at 2-0, and as well as that, to play against Spain now is an extra motivation for opposing teams."

Meanwhile, Riera dedicated his winning goal against FYR Macedonia last night to Daniel Jarque, the Espanyol captain who died at the weekend.

Jarque died at the age of 26 on Saturday after his heart stopped following a training session in Coverciano, Italy where the Barcelona-based club were on a pre-season camp.

The Spanish national team paid tribute to Jarque prior to their friendly with Macedonia in Skopje, wearing shirts with Jarque`s name and his squad number at Espanyol (21) on the front prior to kick-off and for the national anthems.

Both teams also observed a minute's applause before the match in memory of Jarque, who had come up through the youth ranks at home-town club Espanyol and represented Spain at U-21 level.

"My goal is for Dani, for his family, and for everyone associated with Espanyol, said the Liverpool winger. "It was a goal that meant a lot, over and above the result. For me it was very important due to the desire that I had to score in this game. I can assure that this goal came from the soul.

"I wasn`t only thinking (about scoring), but that`s that I was hoping for. I've thought a lot about Dani and about scoring a goal for him."