21 Dec 1983: Spain need to beat Malta by 11 goals to reach Euro 84. At half-time in Seville it’s only 3–1… and yet it finishes 12–1. We set the Group 7 maths, walk through the second-half avalanche and the later Maltese allegations, then zoom out to other nights of “just the right score” – Argentina Peru 1978, the Disgrace of Gijón, Denmark–Sweden’s “biscotto”, Barbados Grenada and the Tiger Cup – and how football has tried to protect itself.
Tips/corrections: otd@17lawsguy.com