Spain Cruise Past Austria To Reach World Cup Round Of 16

Spain booked their place in the World Cup round of 16 with an impressive 3-0 victory over Austria at the SoFi Stadium, Softfootball reports.

The European champions thought they had taken an early lead when Marc Cucurella found the net, but the goal was ruled out after a foul on the goalkeeper. Spain remained in control, however, and finally broke through in the 36th minute as Mikel Oyarzabal swept home the opener.

Austria attempted another late rescue mission by introducing Sasa Kalajdžić, whose stoppage-time goal against Algeria had secured their place in the knockout stage. This time, though, the striker could only head over the bar as Spain tightened their grip on the contest.

Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage shortly after the hour mark with a close-range header before Oyarzabal grabbed his second goal in the closing stages, converting Marc Cucurella’s cross to complete a dominant display.

Although Spain were held to a surprise draw by Cape Verde during the group stage, Luis de la Fuente’s side remain unbeaten in 34 competitive matches within 90 minutes and are yet to concede a goal at this tournament. They will now face either Portugal or Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals.

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