July 30 (Reuters) - Spain’s gross domestic product expanded 2.8% in the second quarter compared to the previous three-month period, as the government loosened most of the COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute showed on Friday. The growth was faster than the 2.2% expected by analysts, came after a 0.4% contraction in the first quarter. On an annual basis the economy grew by 19.8% and more than the 19% expected by analysts according to a Reuters poll. Earlier this week, the Spanish government maintained its economic growth forecast for the year at 6.5%. (Reporting by Joanna Jonczyk-Gwizdala, Editing by Inti Landauro) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.