World Cup play-offs/ Spain 5 Slovakia 1: Spain's coach, Luis Aragones, recently complained that it grows harder to find players for the national team, such is the influence of foreign stars in La Liga. Fortunately the English armada has sailed to the rescue with Luis Garcia at the helm.

The Liverpool winger scored a hat-trick and provoked a penalty, converted by Fernando Torres, as Spain beat Slovakia in the first leg of their World Cup play-off.

He also provided the accidentally perfect pass for the Middlesbrough striker Szilard Nemeth to make it 2-1 four minutes into the second half.

The goal gave the Slovaks hope, but Garcia was soon forgiven and departed a hero with a quarter of an hour remaining and Spain 4-1 up.

Garcia's replacement, his club-mate Fernando Morientes, added a fifth, by which time Xabi Alonso had entered the fray in place of David Albelda to impose control on a side which had grown nervous.

No wonder one radio commentator shouted, in English: "Thank you, Spanish Liverpool!"

The Anfield club were not the only English contributors: Chelsea's Asier Del Horno was neat, tidy and rarely troubled, and the Arsenal striker Jose Antonio Reyes undid Slovakia on the left as Spain raced into an early lead which only momentarily looked vulnerable.

"There were a few minutes of nerves," Reyes said, "but very few."

Spain are, Aragones insisted, "99.9 per cent certain" of being at their eighth successive World Cup. Wednesday's trip to Bratislava holds few fears now, so superior were the Spaniards, so conclusive the scoreline.

Garcia headed home a corner from the magnificent Xavi Hernandez 10 minutes in, by which time Spain had already threatened twice, Xavi curling a free-kick just wide and Raul nudging just beyond the post after a storming run from Reyes.

Seven minutes later Garcia had another. Cutting in from the right, he brought down Xavi's perfectly measured pass on his chest and volleyed emphatically into the corner.

Raul had a goal disallowed and Torres hit the bar, before Slovakia threatened briefly to get back in the game, thanks to Garcia's gift at the start of the second half; his misplaced pass put Nemeth clean through and he slipped the ball beyond Iker Casillas.

The Liverpool winger made amends, cutting in from the left to force a handball and win the penalty which turned the game Spain's way: Marian Had was sent off for protesting and Spain were 3-1 up.

Soon afterwards, Garcia buried Vicente Rodriguez's cross to make it 4-1. All that remained was for a Morientes header to take him level with Emilio Butragueno in Spain's all-time top-scorers table.

"I made everyone a bit nervous with that mistake but I knew everything would turn out right," said Garcia. "I'm dedicating my goals to all of my family, and especially to my baby son, Joel.

"The coach had faith in me and I wanted to repay him. I've played on the right a lot for Liverpool and am very comfortable there.

"It was a great night for the entire squad, not just the Liverpool players. We're in a commanding position and it would take a disaster in Slovakia for us not to go to the World Cup now."

"Luis Garcia gave us more options on the wing and he has a nose for goal, which is something the team has been lacking recently," Aragones said.

"His diagonal runs did a lot of damage to the Slovak defence."

* Guardian Service