Spaniards confidently advanced to the World Cup Round of 16
The Spanish national team confidently defeated Austria 3:0 in the Round of 32 of the World Cup. Almost the entire match was under their complete control.
Photo: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
From the first minutes of the match, the Spaniards seized the initiative: they had a lot of possession, constantly moved the game from the center of the field to the wings, trying to stretch the opponent's defense. Austria, on the other hand, chose a more defensive game plan and successfully contained attacks for a long time, closing down zones and not allowing the opponent to shoot calmly.
Closer to the middle of the first half, Spain began to create more danger. There was a situation where the ball hit the net after a Spanish attack, but the goal was disallowed — the referee registered a foul in the Austrian penalty area during the episode.
Gradually, Spain's pressure became even stronger, and in the 35th minute, they finally opened the scoring. Marc Cucurella delivered an accurate pass into the penalty area, where Mikel Oyarzabal found space at the right time and, with one touch, sent the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
In the second half, the game's pattern did not change. Spain continued to control the ball and the tempo, while Austria increasingly played defensively and rarely launched attacks.
In the middle of the second half, Spain doubled their lead. Álex Baena delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Pedro Porro headed it in, precisely directing the ball into the net.
And at the end of the match, Spain definitively settled the question of the winner. In the last minute of regular time, Oyarzabal scored a brace, again capitalizing on Cucurella's pass, and sealed the match — 3:0.
As a result, Spain confidently advances to the Round of 16, demonstrating ball control, high tempo, and good realization of chances, while Austria barely managed to create any real attacking threat throughout the entire match.
Spain's opponent in the Round of 16 will be determined in the match between Portugal and Croatia.