Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Austria on Thursday, producing their most convincing performance of the tournament to maintain a perfect defensive record.
European champions Spain were dominant throughout the contest at SoFi Stadium, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro adding his first international goal as La Roja comfortably dispatched an Austrian side making its first World Cup knockout appearance in 72 years.
After a cautious opening, Spain gradually took complete control of possession and began creating clear-cut chances. Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager was called into action on several occasions, denying Oyarzabal with a fine diving save before Álex Baena struck the crossbar with a superb 25-yard free-kick.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 39th minute when Marc Cucurella found Oyarzabal unmarked inside the penalty area, and the Real Sociedad captain calmly slotted home to give Spain a deserved lead before the interval.
Austria struggled to respond after the restart, with their only notable opportunity arriving in the 61st minute when substitute Saša Kalajdžić headed over the crossbar.
It proved to be the closest they came to troubling goalkeeper Unai Simón, as Austria failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
Spain doubled their advantage five minutes later through Porro. Baena surged down the left and delivered an inviting cross that the unmarked defender powered home with a commanding header for his first goal in national team colours.
The European champions continued to dictate the pace of the game, with teenage star Lamine Yamal repeatedly threatening the Austrian defence.
The Barcelona winger came close to adding his name to the scoresheet late on, only for David Alaba to clear his goal-bound effort off the line.
Oyarzabal completed the victory in the 89th minute, finishing another incisive move after being picked out by Cucurella, who provided assists for both of the striker’s goals.
The brace took Oyarzabal’s tally to four goals at the tournament, strengthening his position among the competition’s leading scorers.
Speaking after the match, Oyarzabal praised his teammates for their disciplined display.
“I’m happy to have helped the team progress to the next round,” he said. “We knew it would be a difficult game against a very physical side, but we played very well and deserved the victory.”
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described the performance as one of his team’s best, while insisting they must remain focused as the competition enters its decisive phase.
“The great teams step up when it’s needed,” De la Fuente said. “We played a great match and came close to perfection, but there is always room for improvement because every match from now on will be very difficult.”
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run in competitive matches to 35 games since March 2023 and preserved their remarkable defensive record, with Simón keeping a fourth consecutive clean sheet after facing no shots on target.
Having won the UEFA Nations League in 2023 and the European Championship in 2024, Spain have further strengthened their credentials as one of the favourites for the World Cup title.
They will now face the winner of the Portugal-Croatia clash in Monday’s round of 16 encounter.
(The Whistler)
