Ukraine was consigned to the Euro 2016 play-offs after it lost 1:0 at home to Spain despite the reigning champions fielding a second-string side in their final Group C qualifying match.

Ukraine needed to better Slovakia's result in Luxembourg to earn an automatic berth at the tournament in France next year but their fellow Eastern Europeans secured a 4:2 win to make sure of second place.

With Spain already assured of top spot, Vicente del Bosque fielded an experimental team at Kyiv's Olympiysky Stadium, scene of Spain's 4:0 triumph against Italy in the final of Euro 2012.

The full-back Mario Gaspar scored with a header on his debut to put Spain ahead in the 22nd minute and Cesc Fabregas, captaining the side on his 100th international appearance, won penalty moments later but had his effort saved by the Ukraine goalkeeper, Andriy Pyatov.

Spain's eighth qualifying win in a row put them on 27 points from 10 matches and, for the first time, they have gone eight competitive matches without conceding. Slovakia has 22 points and Ukraine 19, eight ahead of fourth-placed Belarus.