Spain secured their place in the FIFA World Cup last 16 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Austria in Inglewood, California, on Thursday, as Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro added his first international goal.
The convincing win continued Spain’s impressive run in the tournament, with the side yet to concede a goal while extending their tally to eight goals scored. They will now face the winner of the Portugal-Croatia clash in the round of 16.
Spain controlled proceedings from the opening whistle, dominating possession and creating a steady stream of chances against an Austrian side that struggled to mount any meaningful attacking threat. Luis de la Fuente’s team finished with a 23-5 advantage in total shots and did not allow Austria a single effort on target while registering 10 shots on goal themselves.
Austria, who have not won a World Cup knockout match since finishing third in 1954, found themselves under sustained pressure throughout the contest and rarely looked capable of troubling Spain’s disciplined defence.
Spain thought they had opened the scoring earlier in the first half, but the effort was ruled out after a foul on Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 36th minute. Midfielder Pedri drove through the centre before releasing Marc Cucurella down the left flank. The Chelsea fullback delivered a low cross into the penalty area, where Oyarzabal calmly guided the ball into the net to give Spain a deserved lead before halftime.
Spain continued to dictate the pace after the interval, with 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal making his longest appearance since recovering from a hamstring injury that ended his club campaign earlier this year. Although Yamal came close to adding to his tournament tally on several occasions, he was denied by missed opportunities and Austrian defending.
The second goal arrived in the 66th minute following another flowing Spanish attack. Cucurella won possession in midfield before finding Alex Baena, whose inviting cross was met by Pedro Porro. The defender timed his run perfectly and headed home for his first goal in a Spain shirt, effectively ending Austria’s hopes of mounting a comeback.
Spain sealed the result in the closing stages when Cucurella produced his second assist of the afternoon. His pass found Oyarzabal in the 89th minute, and the Real Sociedad forward finished confidently to score his fourth goal of the tournament.
The brace made Oyarzabal only the fourth player at this World Cup to score multiple goals in more than one match, joining Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
With another dominant display at both ends of the pitch, Spain reinforced their credentials as one of the tournament favourites as they advanced comfortably to the knockout stage.
