Spain were the overwhelming favourites and largely lived up to the billing at a sun-drenched SoFi Stadium. Luis de la Fuente set his side up in their familiar 4-3-3, with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams providing relentless width and pace to exploit the space left by Austria's high defensive line. The opening goal was a thing of beauty: Williams drove to the byline on the left and cut back for the teenage Barcelona winger to curl a first-time effort into the far corner. Austria, missing the suspended Kevin Danso at the heart of defence, looked shaky whenever Spain's front three ran at them. The second half brought an unexpected twist. Ralf Rangnick's side, disciplined and compact, grew into the game after the break. Marcel Sabitzer — Austria's most dangerous outlet — found pockets between Spain's midfield and defence, and on 61 minutes his incisive cutback was finished clinically by Christoph Baumgartner, who ghosted in from the right to make it 1-1. SoFi Stadium held its breath. Spain, to their credit, never panicked. Pedri and Rodri reasserted control, recycling possession patiently and probing for the opening. It arrived six minutes from time: Pedri threaded a perfectly-weighted through ball into the channel, and Dani Olmo — on as a second-half impact substitute — took one touch to control and slotted low past Schlager to seal Spain's passage to the last 16. Austria had given everything, but Spain's quality in the final third ultimately proved the difference.

• Spain's 63% possession was the engine of their dominance — Austria rarely had the ball long enough to build sustained pressure.
• Lamine Yamal (age 18) became the youngest scorer in a World Cup R32 in the tournament's history.
• Austria's equaliser came against the run of play — Baumgartner's first-time finish from Sabitzer's cutback was clinical.
• Dani Olmo's winner arrived after 14 consecutive Spain passes — a textbook tiki-taka breakdown of a tiring Austrian block.
• Kevin Danso's absence (suspension) left Austria's backline visibly vulnerable to Yamal and Williams' pace in behind.
• Spain's xG of 2.31 vs Austria's 0.94 underlines the gulf in class; the scoreline flatters the Austrians slightly.
• Rodri completed 94 of 98 attempted passes before his booking — a metronome performance in midfield.