Spain secured progression to the quarterfinal after dominating Austria with a decisive 3-0 victory in the World Cup Round of 16.
The Spanish side controlled the game from the start, creating numerous early opportunities, though potential goals were denied, including a header attempt by Aymeric Laporte and a shot by Marc Cucurella which was disallowed following a foul on Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The sustained pressure eventually paid off in the 36th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal capitalized on a cross delivered by Marc Cucurella to score the opening goal, 1-0. Shortly before the break, Schlager prevented a larger deficit by making a strong save against Alex Baena’s free-kick and the subsequent follow-up attempt by Lamine Yamal.
The second half saw Austria come out of the locker room with more aggression, although their offensive threats remained largely contained. The best chance for the visitors came when Sasa Kalajdzic, who had been substituted on, missed a header in the 61st minute. This was followed by the second Spanish goal just five minutes later; Alex Baena’s cross was headed in by Pedro Porro in the 66th minute, making it 2-0.
Spain added another goal during the final phase. Marc Cucurella once again provided the assist, this time setting up Mikel Oyarzabal for his second of the evening. The striker placed the ball into the net in the 89th minute, sealing the final score at 3-0. Consequently, Spain advances to the Quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the upcoming match between Portugal and Croatia.
