Oyarzabal scored two goals for Spain . Photo: Sky Sports.
Early this morning, Spain faced Austria in a crucial match in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup . Entering this do-or-die game, La Roja proactively pushed their formation high up the field right from the opening whistle.
The suffocating pressure materialized in the 60th second, when Alex Baena played a clever through ball to Lamine Yamal, who raced down the wing and fired a shot into the near corner, but goalkeeper Alexander Schlager made a timely save for Austria.
After being pressured by their opponents in the opening minutes, coach Ralf Rangnick's team gradually regained their confidence thanks to their pressing style and tight defensive coverage. In the 18th minute, Austria nearly scored the opening goal if Gregoritsch's header after Sabitzer's cross had been a few millimeters more accurate.
The drama of the match reached its climax in the 29th minute. From a corner kick, Marc Cucurella seized the opportunity to shoot and score against Austria. However, after consulting VAR technology, referee Glenn Nyberg disallowed the goal, determining that center-back Pau Cubarsi had fouled goalkeeper Schlager inside the penalty area earlier.
Undeterred, the La Roja warriors continued to increase the pressure. In the 33rd minute, Oyarzabal dribbled skillfully before unleashing a low, powerful shot that forced Schlager to make a save.
Just three minutes later, Austria's defense crumbled. In the 36th minute, Pedri made a powerful run through the center and threaded the ball to Cucurella on the left wing. The defender delivered a perfect cross for Mikel Oyarzabal to tap the ball in from close range, giving Spain a 1-0 lead . This was the striker's 16th goal in his last 16 matches for the national team. Oyarzabal's performance was impressive.
Spain dominated Austria. Photo: Imago.
The final minutes of the first half saw a panic in the Austrian defense. In the 45th minute, Alex Baena took a superb free-kick from 25 meters, hitting the crossbar. Immediately afterwards, the ball rebounded to Yamal at the far post, but goalkeeper Schlager made an incredible save on the goal line. The first half ended with Spain leading 1-0.
Entering the second half, trailing behind, coach Ralf Rangnick did not hesitate to make substitutions. The introduction of Grillitsch and Chukwuemeka right after the break showed Austria's determination to push forward in search of an equalizer.
Nevertheless, Luis de la Fuente's players showed the experience and composure of the reigning European champions by deliberately slowing down the pace of the game but always waiting to punish their opponents. Oyarzabal and Rodri successively tested the Austrian defense with dangerous shots in the 50th and 54th minutes.
Realizing the attacking play was stalled due to a lack of speed in the forward line, coach Rangnick brought on two more strikers, Arnautovic and Sasa Kalajdzic, in the 60th minute. This change almost yielded immediate results.
In the 61st minute, from a tricky cross from the left wing by Marcel Sabitzer, Kalajdzic rushed in and headed the ball powerfully from close range, but unfortunately, the ball went just over the crossbar.
Just as they were playing well and gaining momentum, Austria unexpectedly received a devastating blow. In the 66th minute, Marc Cucurella won the ball in a strong challenge before passing it to Alex Baena on the left wing.
Oyarzabal scored Spain's second goal. Photo: Sky Sports.
Baena then delivered a precise cross, setting up defender Pedro Porro, who made a powerful run and headed the ball past goalkeeper Schlager, making the score 2-0.
After a water break in the 68th minute, Spain proactively made tactical substitutions, replacing Dani Olmo and Alex Baena with Mikel Merino and Ferran Torres to conserve their energy.
In the final minutes of the match, Austria, despite their efforts and creating a dangerous opportunity in the 79th minute when Carney Chukwuemeka's shot went wide of the post, it was all too late. In the 89th minute, Cucurella provided an impressive assist, allowing Oyarzabal to complete his brace and seal a 3-0 victory for Spain.
With this convincing victory, Spain officially and deservedly secured their place in the Round of 16. La Roja's opponent in the next round will be the winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia.
If readers are interested in the 2026 World Cup, they can refer to the article "Decoding the 2026 World Cup Knockout Round Matrix".
Final score: Spain 3-0 Austria
Goal scorer:
Spain: Oyarzabal (36', 89'), Pedro Porro (66')
Starting lineup
Photo: BongDa.com.vn.
According to Football