Spain 3-0 Austria: Mikel Oyarzabal brace fires La Roja into World Cup last 16
European champions Spain delivered a masterclass in modern knockout football as a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Austria booked their place in the FIFA World Cup round of 16.
Luis de la Fuente’s side were close to flawless in the Los Angeles sunshine, choking the life out of an Austrian team that failed to register a single shot on target across the entire 90 minutes. Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal struck in each half, while Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro celebrated his first international goal on his 20th appearance to underline Spain’s growing status as tournament favourites.
The tone was set inside the opening two minutes when the mercurial Lamine Yamal forced an early save from Alexander Schlager. Spain thought they had broken the deadlock midway through the first half when Marc Cucurella turned the ball home, only for the referee to rule it out for a soft infringement on the Austrian goalkeeper.
That frustration proved fleeting. On 36 minutes, Spain’s relentless pressure told. A slick team move saw Oyarzabal break the offside trap and coolly slot his side-footed finish past Schlager to give La Roja a deserved half-time lead.
Austria, led by the industrious Marcel Sabitzer, attempted to reset after the break, but Ralf Rangnick’s side simply could not contend with Spain’s technical superiority and counter-pressing. The match was effectively put to bed in the 66th minute when the outstanding Porro drifted into the box to powerfully head home his milestone goal.
As the clock ticked down, Spain turned on the style, moving the ball with the kind of geometric precision that evoked memories of their 2010 triumph. The icing on the cake arrived in the 89th minute when Cucurella whipped a delightful ball from the left flank, allowing Oyarzabal to ghost into the area and slide home his second of the night.
With Portugal waiting in the last 16 in Dallas, Spain have sent a terrifying warning shot to the rest of the world. On this evidence, they will be the team everyone else is desperate to avoid.
