Oyarzabal double sends Spain past Austria and into the World Cup last 16

Spain needed barely half an hour to settle their World Cup round-of-32 tie, and by the end they had hardly been asked a question. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro added a header as the European champions beat Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles on July 2 to move into the last 16 without breaking sweat.

Austria came hoping to frustrate. They left having failed to register a single shot on target, undone by a Spain side that kept the ball, probed patiently and struck whenever an opening came.

Oyarzabal leads the way

The breakthrough arrived in the 36th minute. Marc Cucurella drifted in from the left and clipped a cross to the back post, where Oyarzabal met it first time and steered his finish past the goalkeeper. It was the kind of move Spain had been threatening from the opening exchanges, even if a slow start had seen them string together only a handful of passes in the first five minutes.

Porro made it two just after the hour. The right-back timed his run into the box to meet Alex Baena’s delivery and powered a header home in the 66th minute, rewarding an afternoon of Spanish pressure. Oyarzabal then rounded off the win one minute from time, again teed up by Cucurella from the left, to take his tournament tally to four.

A comfortable afternoon for de la Fuente

For all the gloss of the scoreline, the real story was Spain’s control. Baena created chance after chance from midfield, while Lamine Yamal tormented the Austria defence down the right without adding his name to the scoresheet. At the other end Unai Simon was rarely troubled, extending a run of clean sheets that has become a feature of Spain’s tournament.

Austria, so organised through the group stage, could find no way through. Ralf Rangnick’s side had a bright spell or two but never carried a real threat, and the numbers laid the gap bare: Spain piled up more than 20 shots while Austria managed nothing that forced a save.

Portugal or Croatia await

Spain’s reward is a place in the round of 16, where they will meet the winner of Portugal against Croatia. On this evidence Luis de la Fuente’s team look every bit the side that won the European Championship, balancing youth and experience without losing their rhythm. The tournament has not seen the best of them yet, and few of the sides left in the draw will relish facing a Spain attack this fluent.

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