Spain booked their place in the World Cup Round of 16 in style with a dominant 3-0 victory over Austria in Los Angeles, with Mikel Oyarzabal delivering another standout performance.
The European champions looked in control for most of the night and, despite an early setback when Marc Cucurella had a goal ruled out for a controversial foul on the goalkeeper, they never lost their rhythm.
It was Oyarzabal who finally broke Austria’s resistance in the 37th minute, calmly finishing to give Spain the lead they had been threatening to take.
Austria, managed by Ralf Rangnick, tried to respond after the break. Their hopes briefly lifted when substitute Sasa Kalajdzic, the hero from their dramatic win over Algeria, nearly made an instant impact. But his header flew over the bar, and that miss proved costly.
Spain quickly punished them.
In the 66th minute, Pedro Porro rose highest to head home from Álex Baena’s cross, doubling the lead and effectively ending Austria’s resistance.
Oyarzabal then sealed the victory late on, tapping in Cucurella’s dangerous delivery in the 89th minute to cap off a clinical performance and send a warning to Spain’s World Cup rivals.
While Spain may not have been at their best during the group stages — including a surprising draw against Cape Verde — they are growing stronger at the perfect time. More impressively, Luis de la Fuente’s side are yet to concede a single goal in the tournament.
That defensive solidity, combined with flashes of brilliance from rising star Lamine Yamal, makes Spain one of the most dangerous teams left in the competition.
Oyarzabal’s form is becoming a major talking point. After stepping into the spotlight ahead of Álvaro Morata, he has now scored four goals in the tournament and continues to prove why he is central to Spain’s ambitions.
Speaking after the game, Oyarzabal said:
“I’m happy to help the team and get through to the next round. They were physical and difficult to play against, but we played a good match. Now we rest and prepare for whoever comes next.”
Spain will now face either Portugal or Croatia in what promises to be a much tougher test as they continue their hunt for World Cup glory.
