Atlanta, June 21: Spain bounced back in emphatic fashion from their opening Group H draw, crushing Saudi Arabia 4-0 at the Atlanta Stadium on Saturday to boost their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
A dominant first-half display laid the foundation for the victory as teenage sensation Lamine Yamal opened the scoring before Mikel Oyarzabal struck twice in the space of three minutes. An own goal by Saudi defender Hassan Al-Tambakti early in the second half completed a comprehensive win for La Roja.Needing a positive result after dropping points in their opening match, Spain started aggressively and immediately put Saudi Arabia under pressure. Their high-tempo approach and attacking intent proved too much for the Saudis, who struggled to cope with the movement and creativity of the Spanish forwards.The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute when Yamal found the net to score his first-ever World Cup goal. The Barcelona winger continued to trouble the Saudi defence with his pace and dribbling, helping Spain dominate possession and territory.Spain doubled their advantage in the 21st minute through Oyarzabal, who finished off a slick attacking move to put his side firmly in control. Just three minutes later, the Real Sociedad forward struck again, capitalising on another defensive lapse to make it 3-0.
The quick-fire double effectively ended the contest before the first-half hydration break, with Saudi Arabia unable to recover from Spain’s relentless attacking pressure.Holding a comfortable lead, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente used the second half to rotate his squad and preserve key players. Both Yamal and Oyarzabal were withdrawn at the interval, with Yéremy Pino and Ferran Torres introduced.
The changes did little to disrupt Spain’s rhythm. Just four minutes after the restart, they added a fourth goal when Marc Cucurella’s effort rebounded off defender Hassan Al-Tambakti and into the Saudi net for an own goal.
Saudi Arabia attempted to alter the flow of the game by making tactical substitutions at halftime, introducing Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohamed Kanno.
However, Spain continued to dictate proceedings, controlling possession and limiting their opponents to few meaningful opportunities.The convincing victory not only restored confidence within the Spanish camp but also strengthened their position in Group H. (Agencies)
