FRIDAY, JULY 3 AT 12:30AM
Los Angeles, July 1: Spain will fancy their chances of winning their first World Cup knockout tie in 16 years when they meet Austria in the round of 32 at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday.
La Roja finished top of Group H, condemning Uruguay to elimination with a 1-0 win on Saturday, courtesy of a nervy Álex Baena strike.
While Luis de la Fuente’s side impressed in their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, they are yet to display the fluency that made them dominant European champions two years ago, with a goalless draw against Cape Verde the major talking point from their tournament thus far.
While the group stages afforded them some margin for error, Spain will know all too well that the knockout rounds are far less forgiving.
Indeed, Spain have failed to win a World Cup knockout tie since Andres Iniesta scored his historic extra-time goal to seal a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the 2010 final.
In fact, they have been eliminated on penalties from each of their last two, both significant upsets, bowing out in the round of 16 to Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
Spain have never previously failed to progress from three successive World Cup knockout ties, and De la Fuente will be determined to avoid that fate.
But La Roja have often found life difficult as the tournament progresses, scoring just one goal across their last seven World Cup knockout ties against fellow European sides – a 1-1 draw with Russia in 2018, when they were still eliminated on penalties.
Despite keeping clean sheets in three of their last four such matches against European nations, De la Fuente will know his side have room for improvement.
It will therefore be imperative that Spain do not let their guard down against a resilient Austria side, whose belief will only have been strengthened by the recent trend of upsets at this World Cup.
After Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties on Monday, Morocco repeated their 2022 heroics by knocking out the Netherlands on Tuesday, with two pre-tournament contenders sent home in the space of two days.
Austria will surely believe they can do something similar, though Ralf Rangnick’s side return to this stage after a lengthy absence.
They last appeared in the World Cup knockout rounds nearly 72 years ago, at the 1954 tournament, when they defeated Switzerland 7-5 in Lausanne in a historic match that remains the highest-scoring game in men’s World Cup history.
Austria finished third on that occasion, losing 6-1 to eventual champions West Germany in the semi-finals.
They are no strangers to meeting European opposition at this stage, though, with all five of their previous World Cup knockout matches, excluding third-place play-offs, coming against sides from the continent.
Austria have won three of those, against France and Hungary in 1934 and Switzerland in 1954, while losing two, against Italy in 1934 and West Germany in 1954.
Rangnick’s challenge will be compounded by the fact that Spain possess a resolute defence, having not conceded in their last four World Cup matches – their joint-longest run, alongside their sequence en route to winning the trophy in 2010.
At the other end, Austria have struggled defensively at the tournament, and have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 12 World Cup matches since a 2-0 victory over Algeria in 1982.
Ending that run against Spain will certainly be essential if the Austrains are to continue the recent theme of knockout-stage upsets. (Agencies)
