Spain secured their spot in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup after a dominant 3-0 victory over Austria. The match, held at Los Angeles Stadium, saw Mikel Oyarzabal score a brace, with Pedro Porro adding his first senior international goal for his country. This win marks Spain’s first World Cup knockout-stage victory since they lifted the trophy in 2010.
The Spanish side, managed by Luis de la Fuente, made two changes to their starting lineup, bringing in Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo. Marcos Llorente and Mikel Merino were moved to the bench. Lamine Yamal started in attack alongside Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal, as Nico Williams continues to recover from a leg injury. Yamal has scored a goal in three appearances for Spain in this tournament.
Spain’s Dominant Performance
Spain’s performance against Austria was marked by strong attacking play and solid defence. Despite completing only 15 passes in the opening five minutes, their fewest in the first five minutes of a World Cup game since 2014, they quickly found their rhythm. Lamine Yamal created the first chance of the contest, testing Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager with a low effort. Yamal continued to be a threat, forcing another save from Schlager after a cross-shot from a difficult angle.
The breakthrough for Spain came in the 29th minute, though a goal from Marc Cucurella was disallowed after referee Glenn Nyberg judged Pau Cubarsí to have fouled the goalkeeper. However, there was nothing Schlager could do when Oyarzabal coolly slotted home from Cucurella’s low cross, opening the scoring. Schlager made a double save before half-time, denying Álex Baena from a free-kick and then thwarting Yamal on the rebound.
Austria, making their first World Cup knockout appearance in 44 years, struggled to contain the Spanish attack. They made three changes to their lineup, with Kevin Danso, Paul Wanner, and Michael Gregoritsch coming in. Sasa Kalajdzic, who scored the goal that sent Austria into the knockouts, almost equalised after coming on as a 60th-minute substitute, but his header went over the bar.
Key Moments and Records
Austria were made to pay for their missed opportunities when Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 66th minute. Cucurella played the ball to Baena, who delivered a drilled, left-footed cross into the centre of the area, which Porro met with a superb header. This marked the first time in exactly 32 years that Spain had scored multiple goals in a World Cup knockout match as they beat Austria 3-0.
Oyarzabal sealed Spain’s victory in the 89th minute, linking up with Cucurella once again to turn in an inch-perfect cross. His second goal made him the first Spain player to score twice in a World Cup knockout fixture since Emilio Butragueño netted four against Denmark in 1986. Baena also made a significant contribution, becoming the first Spain player to create five chances in a World Cup knockout match since Xavi in the 2010 final.
Spain’s dominance was evident in their statistics, tallying 23 shots, 2.84 expected goals, and 51 touches in the opposition box, while Austria failed to register a single shot on target. Spain are now unbeaten in their last six meetings with Austria. This victory also means Spain are the first European team to keep a clean sheet in their first four matches at a World Cup since Switzerland in 2006. Goalkeeper Unai Simón has now kept a clean sheet in five consecutive World Cup starts, equalling the record set by Walter Zenga of Italy in 1990.
Spain will now face either Portugal or Croatia in the next round of the tournament.
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Source: thehindu.com
