After the embarrassment of a goalless draw with Cape Verde in their opener, Spain came to Atlanta needing a performance.
What they produced was one of the most complete displays at this World Cup.
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Three goals in 24 minutes ends contest before half-time
Luis de la Fuente made one change from the Cape Verde stalemate, Yamal in the starting XI rather than coming off the bench in the 70th minute. The decision took less than ten minutes to justify itself.
Oyarzabal drove down the left and whipped a low inviting cross to the back post. Yamal, arriving at pace, slid in and steered home from close range.
He becomes the second player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match, the first since a 17-year-old called Pele did it for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
Saudi Arabia barely had time to process the shock before it was two. A corner bounced loose around the six-yard box, Dani Olmo flicked it on and Aymeric Laporte nodded it into Oyarzabal’s path.
The Real Sociedad striker bundled it into the right corner, his first, and the moment this game began to die as a contest.
Three minutes later it was three. A diagonal cross, Cucurella’s cushioned touch, Olmo’s nodded lay-off, and Oyarzabal was there again, a second close-range finish that made him only the second player on record to be directly involved in three World Cup goals inside the opening 25 minutes of a match, after Hungary’s Laszlo Fazekas against El Salvador in 1982.
Saudi Arabia were shellshocked. Their captain Salem Al-Dawsari, booked for a wild lunge on Porro in frustration, could barely comprehend what was happening.
One desperate defender even attempted a long-range lob from inside his own half, spotting Simon off his line.
Own goal seals it four minutes into the second half
De la Fuente made the conservative call at half-time. Oyarzabal, who had come within a whisker of a hat-trick, was withdrawn to protect him for future rounds, as was Yamal.
The replacements, Ferran Torres and Yeremi Pino, barely had time to break sweat before the fourth arrived. Alex Baena’s corner from the left was flicked on, Cucurella volleyed it goalwards and Al Owais made the save. But the ball cannoned back in off the unfortunate Hassan Al-Tambakti and in.
Spain cruise to the finish line
With the job done by the hour mark, Spain eased gracefully into cruise control. Rodri, who had completed 100 touches at a 93% pass rate, was given a standing ovation when he made way for Fabian Ruiz on 70 minutes.
Pedri’s six interceptions were the most by any Spain player since Juanito against Saudi Arabia in 2006.
Saudi Arabia finally produced their first shot on target in the 81st minute, Al-Hamdan’s 20-yarder barely troubling Simon.
By that point the remaining question was simply whether Spain would add a fifth. Torres thought he had it in stoppage time, turning home from close range after a lovely move involving Pino and Ruiz, but VAR ruled it out for the narrowest of offsides.
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