Spain click into gear as trail turns treacherous

Spain got going from the first minute, looking hungry from the onset. The jitters of their goalless opener against Cape Verde were all but gone, replaced by the look of a side ready to dominate and score.

At SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, Spain did exactly that in their Round of 32 fixture, brushing aside Austria 3-0 to win their first World Cup knockout match since their triumphant 2010 campaign.

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Luis de la Fuente set his side up in a fluid 4-3-3, with Rodri anchoring the base of midfield while Pedri and Dani Olmo rotated intelligently. While Rodri dictated the tempo from deep, Pedri and Olmo aggressively exploited the pockets Austria left open between the lines, adding a crucial layer of creative flair.

The approach was enough to bypass Ralf Rangnick’s high press, and by half-time, Spain were completely controlling both the ball and the space behind it.

At the back, Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte dealt comfortably with Marko Arnautovic's aerial threat, while full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro pushed high to overload the width created by Alex Baena and Lamine Yamal cutting infield.

Having finished the group stage without conceding a goal for the first time in their history, Unai Simon was barely troubled again here. In the process, he became the goalkeeper with the longest clean-sheet streak in World Cup history, surpassing the 517-minute record Walter Zenga set at the 1990 World Cup -- a milestone that had stood for more than three decades.

Up front, Mikel Oyarzabal shone as the lone striker, striking in the 36th minute and again in the 89th. His brace came either side of a Pedro Porro header in the 66th minute, marking the full-back's first international goal on his 20th appearance for the country.

There were initial concerns that Spain, operating without a recognized out-and-out number nine, would lack a definitive focal point in the final third. Oyarzabal, however, has answered those doubts convincingly.

His second goal was a finish that looked almost lazy in its precision, capping a display in which his spatial movement and timing inside the area made him look anything but a makeshift striker.

The ruthless victory ended Austria's first knockout appearance in 72 years. What started with the Nations League title in 2023 and carried on to an unbeaten Euros triumph in 2024 has clearly given this young Spanish side the pedigree required for the big stage.

However, the ease of this victory should not mask the scale of the task ahead. While De la Fuente’s tactical blueprint functioned flawlessly against Austria, Spain’s path to ultimate glory is a treacherous road that will demand they raise their game by several notches.

A mouth-watering Iberian Derby against Portugal awaits them in the Round of 16. Beyond that, a potential semifinal collision looms with France, who have looked ominously unstoppable.

Nevertheless, if La Roja can maintain this clinical edge and successfully navigate the hurdles ahead, De la Fuente's men look entirely capable of mounting a serious, sustained charge at the ultimate prize.