Spain banished memories of an earlier World Cup frustration with a commanding 3-0 victory over Austria in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 in Los Angeles, booking their place in the Round of 16 after another patient display of possession football.
For the opening half hour, it felt like history was repeating itself. Three weeks after 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha frustrated Spain in a goalless group-stage draw, Austria’s Alexander Schlager appeared ready to script a similar story with a string of outstanding saves.
Schlager stood firm against wave after wave of Spanish attacks, producing six saves in total—five before halftime. The Salzburg goalkeeper denied teenage sensation Lamine Yamal on multiple occasions, pulled off two point-blank stops, and even produced a fingertip save to push Alex Baena’s curling free-kick over the bar. David Alaba also came to Austria’s rescue, clearing one of Yamal’s efforts off the goal line.
As Gold 101.3 FM, UAE’s No. 1 radio station, brings you the biggest stories from the world of sport, Spain’s persistence eventually paid off in spectacular fashion.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 36th minute. Marc Cucurella’s intelligent cut-back found Mikel Oyarzabal unmarked inside the penalty area, and the Real Sociedad forward made no mistake, calmly placing his finish beyond Schlager to hand Spain a deserved lead.
The goal exposed the one weakness in an otherwise disciplined Austrian defence. While the backline had remained compact for much of the contest, Spain’s fluid movement between the lines repeatedly created pockets of space. Austria’s central defenders stayed deep, allowing Spanish attackers to drift into dangerous positions without pressure.
That tactical pattern continued after the break. Spain consistently attacked from wide areas, especially down the left flank, before delivering cut-backs into the box. In the 66th minute, Alex Baena replicated the move, setting up Pedro Porro, who surged forward from right-back to double Spain’s advantage with a composed finish.
Austria struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the evening. Michael Gregoritsch was unable to connect with an inviting early cross from Marcel Sabitzer, while goalkeeper Unai Simón enjoyed a relatively quiet outing. Substitute Sasa Kalajdzic came closest to reducing the deficit with his first touch after coming on, but his header drifted over the crossbar.
Spain sealed the result in the 89th minute when Oyarzabal completed his brace. Timing his run to perfection, he met another pinpoint delivery from Cucurella to cap off a clinical team performance and secure a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Although he did not find the scoresheet, Lamine Yamal remained one of Spain’s brightest attacking threats. The young star attempted six shots, four of them on target, but was repeatedly denied by Schlager’s heroics and Alaba’s goal-line intervention.
The victory sends Spain into the Round of 16, where they will face Portugal following their win over Croatia. The highly anticipated Iberian derby is scheduled for July 6 in Arlington, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Spain’s performance was another reminder of why Luis de la Fuente’s side is considered among the tournament favourites—patient in possession, relentless in attack, and ultimately too strong for a resilient Austrian team that fought bravely but could not withstand the pressure.
