Spain beat Austria 3-0 to book place in last 16 at World Cup

Spain is continuing its claim at the World Cup strongly. Having not fully convinced with its performance in the group stage of the tournament, Spain played a critical match with Austria in the round of 16. In the exciting match played on Thursday, the Spanish team left the field with a sharp 3-0 victory and pocketed the tour visa. With the two goals scored by Oyarzabal and Porro's contribution, Spain set off with hope and carried their undefeated status to the next round. After this important victory, Spain's opponent will be the winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia.

One of the most tactically striking aspects of the match was Austria's attempt to stop Spain's young talent Lamine Yamal. Austria's head coach Ralf Rangnick applied a match strategy, taking a special measure against him on the right wing to neutralize Yamal. This caused Laimer, who exchanged passes with Yamal, to increase his pressure and prevented the young star from making positions from time to time. Despite being 18 years old, Yamal displayed his skills against the opponent's strict defense but struggled to find the goal, and Austria's plan worked partially. However, as a side effect of this intense pressure, Spain's defense dropping back and leaving the gap in the middle was a move that changed the fate of the game.

Spain turned Austria's focus on Yamal into an opportunity and found it easier to come from the left and middle zones of the pitch. In the first half, Cucurella's goal from a corner was cancelled due to offside, but this did not discourage the Spanish. Cucurella was the name who put the ball into the nets in Pedri's pass seeing Oyarzabal with his successful cross, putting his team 1-0 ahead. After this goal, Spain took control of the game and missed the chance of a goal as the ball hit the post in Baena's free kick. Schlager the goalkeeper saved Yamal's shot after his return, making Austria's struggle to go to the half-time goalless a bit more difficult. The goalkeeper's critical interventions overshadowed Spain's pressure, which had been longing for a goal.

In the second half, they never dropped their pressuring game uttered on the field. Even though the ball passed next to the goal in Dani Olmo's hard shot, Cucurella did not stand idle again and continued to create danger with his runs from the left wing. After Cucurella's runs, Baena possessed the ball and advanced towards the penalty area. In Baena's cross, Pedro Porro, who took a good position, hit the nets with the ball, bringing the score to 2-0. Porro, who evaluated Austria's defense's focus on Yamal well, relaxed his team by using the empty spaces. Even though Yamal missed another goal, Alaba saved the ball from the line.

In the final moments of the match, while Spain continued to preserve the score comfortably, Cucurella took the stage again. Lifting his cross from the left wing again with a move like a copy of the first goal, Oyarzabal hit the nets with the ball, making the situation 3-0. This goal sealed Spain's superiority and caused Austria to say farewell to the tournament. After this victory in Los Angeles, in the tournament where Spain will continue its journey, the students of head coach Luis de la Fuente will take to the pitch ambitiously in the quarter-final match to be played on Monday.