Spain booked their place in the Round of 16 of the World Cup on Thursday, brushing aside Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood in a Round of 32 clash that was every bit as one-sided as the scoreline suggests. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a first international strike from Pedro Porro sent Luis de la Fuente’s side through to the knockout stage of the World Cup with a performance built on patient possession, defensive solidity and a clear gulf in class.
The European giants dominated from the opening whistle, though the breakthrough did not come easily. Spain thought they had taken the lead in the 29th minute when Marc Cucurella turned in a corner, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager after a scramble in a crowded six-yard box. It was a marginal decision, but one that did little to slow the momentum Spain had built in the early stages of this FIFA World Cup fixture.
The deserved opener finally arrived in the 36th minute. Cucurella, again at the heart of the move, slid a low ball across the face of the goal for Oyarzabal to sweep home from close range, his eleventh goal in his last ten appearances for the national team. Spain came close to a second before the break, with Alex Baena’s swerving 25-yard free-kick cannoning off the crossbar and Lamine Yamal’s follow-up effort brilliantly turned away by Schlager, who was arguably Austria’s best performer on the night.
Ralf Rangnick shuffled his midfield at half-time, introducing Florian Grillitsch and Carney Chukwuemeka in search of a foothold in the game, but Spain’s control never wavered. The second goal came in the 66th minute, when Baena again supplied the final ball, whipping in a cross from the left that Tottenham defender Porro nodded home for his first goal at international level.
Austria pushed men forward in response, and substitute Sasa Kalajdzic headed narrowly over from a Marcel Sabitzer delivery, but chances for the Austrians were scarce throughout this World Cup encounter. Spain finished the match with 23 shots to Austria’s five, and an expected-goals total of 2.84 against just 0.32 for their opponents, numbers that reflected the gap between the two sides all evening.
Oyarzabal completed the rout a minute from time, converting another low centre from the tireless Cucurella to make it 3-0 and put the finishing touch on a professional display. The result marked Spain’s first World Cup knockout-stage win in sixteen years, since the side lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010. For Austria, the defeat ended a first appearance in the knockout rounds of the World Cup since 1954, a long wait that will now stretch further still.
Lamine Yamal was named Man of the Match despite going without a goal. Speaking afterward, the Barcelona forward said simply that the World Cup starts now for his side, a sentiment echoed by teammates who have been careful all tournament not to get ahead of themselves. With group-stage business now behind them, Spain will find out their next opponent once Portugal and Croatia settle their own Round of 32 tie, with the winner awaiting Spain in the Round of 16 at Dallas Stadium.
For a Spanish side that came into the World Cup as one of the pre-tournament favourites, the win over Austria was less a statement than a confirmation of what many already expected. The Spanish team, built around a blend of experienced heads and precocious young talents like Yamal, has the depth and composure to go deep into the World Cup once again.
