Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice as Spain proved too strong for Austria in a 3-0 win at the SoFi Stadium to take their place in the last-16 of the World Cup.
After seeing a goal from full-back Marc Cucurella ruled out for a foul at a corner, the European champions went ahead in the 36th minute through Oyarzabal's sweeping finish.
Spain – looking to secure a first win in a World Cup knock-out match since lifting the trophy in 2010 – eventually made their dominance count again when Tottenham defender Pedro Porro headed in a second just after the hour.
Oyarzabal scored his second goal with a minute left of normal time as Luis de la Fuente’s side set up a date with either Portugal or Croatia for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Spain had made a bright start in Inglewood, Los Angeles as Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal fired in an early shot from the edge of the penalty area which was straight at Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
Austria – who had secured their place in the last-32 as runners-up in Group J behind Argentina with a late goal to snatch a 3-3 draw with Algeria – then created their first opportunity when a floated cross from Marcel Sabitzer picked out Michael Gregoritsch at the far post, but the Augsburg front man could not get enough contact on his header.
Spain thought they had taken the lead on the half-hour when Cucurella lashed the ball in following a corner, but the goal was somewhat controversially ruled out for a foul on Schlager as the floated corner went through a packed six-yard box.
Austria keeper Schlager then showed good reactions to get down to push away an angled effort from Oyarzabal after another lively run from Yamal.
Spain eventually made their pressure count in the 36th minute when Real Sociedad forward Oyarzabal swept in a low cross from Cucurella for an 11th goal in his last ten international appearances.
In first-half stoppage time, Alex Baena saw his 25-yard curling free-kick tipped on to the crossbar and Yamal's follow-up shot from the rebound was then saved at point-blank range by Schlager.
Austria boss Ralf Rangnick made a double substitution to his midfield for the second half, sending on Florian Grillitsch and Carney Chukwuemeka, a former England youth international who had spells at Aston Villa and Chelsea.
It was Spain, though, who looked to pick up from where they had left off, with Oyarzabal heading over from a corner before Rodri’s low shot was deflected just wide.
After Austria substitute Sasa Kalajdzic, who had only just come on, sent a looping header over, Spain doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Porro arrived in the penalty area to finish off a sweeping move as he nodded in Baena’s cross for his first international goal.
Austria looked to rally as Stefan Posch headed wide, but Oyarzabal made sure there would be no late drama when he knocked in a low cross from Cucurella in the 89th minute.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente – whose side have grown into the tournament after opening Group H with a goalless draw against debutants Cape Verde – feels there is more to come from his team.
"We knew it would be an important match, especially in this knockout stage. We had the previous games in mind and, in every aspect, we were almost perfect," De la Fuente said, quoted on the FIFA website.
“But there are still a few little things to improve. We can always do better. Every match is going to be more difficult than the last. We need to keep this mentality.”
Rangnick accepted his side had just come up short against a superior Spain side.
"We are naturally disappointed that our journey ends here," the Austria boss told reporters, as quoted by Der Standard. "But overall, the team achieved its main goal at the World Cup. We advanced from an extremely difficult group.
"We knew that there was a high probability of advancing as runners-up and then facing Spain, that was an enormous challenge.
But I believe that this team would have been on par with almost any other opponent and would have had a good chance of advancing even further."
(Adaderana.lk)
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