Spain and Austria clash in Los Angeles with Lamine Yamal fit and Austria plotting an upset
Spain take on Austria in the World Cup round of 32 at SoFi Stadium, with Lamine Yamal declared fully available for the first time in the tournament. Austria's coach Ralf Rangnick says stopping the Barcelona teenager is his side's top priority.
Tournament so far
Spain topped Group H despite a sluggish start, grinding out a goalless draw with debutants Cape Verde before finding their rhythm. A 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in Atlanta and a narrow 1-0 win over Uruguay in Guadalajara secured first place, all without conceding a goal. Luis de la Fuente’s side have now stretched their unbeaten run to 34 matches, a streak dating back to March 2023, yet their knockout record remains under the microscope: Spain haven’t won a World Cup knockout match since the 2010 final.
Austria’s path was more dramatic. Ralf Rangnick’s team finished second in Group J behind Argentina, relying on a 96th-minute equaliser from Sasa Kalajdzic in a 3-3 draw with Algeria to edge through on goal difference. They scored six goals across three group games, two of them from Marko Arnautovic, but also conceded six, a figure Rangnick knows must be tightened against a Spanish side that has yet to let in a goal.
Yamal and Spain’s attacking options
Lamine Yamal has been carefully managed after tearing his hamstring in April, playing only 141 minutes in the group stage and scoring once. De la Fuente confirmed the 18-year-old is now physically ready to play as many minutes as required. “What I am seeing this week is that the team is beginning to recognise things to fix,” the coach said, suggesting Spain will be sharper than in their early matches.
I love that it is demanded of us, because a lot is expected of us and what we have to do is respond to that expectation.
The forward line received a further boost with Yeremy Pino and Victor Munoz passed fit, though Pino’s shoulder sprain created some confusion after other outlets reported he would miss the rest of the tournament. De la Fuente insisted all three are available, though he gave no clues about his starting XI.
Austria’s defensive task
Rangnick was blunt about the challenge. “Lamine Yamal is an excellent player, and he will be for the next 12, 13 or 14 years,” he said. “He is one of the players we will watch very closely tomorrow, not to give him a lot of room or too many opportunities to start his dribbling actions.”
He is a player that all football fans, no matter where they are from, love to watch. But it is our task tomorrow to let him have the ball as little as possible.
Captain David Alaba, a former Real Madrid defender, said his teammates would not hide. “They play very attractive football. They have enormous quality and individual players that can make a difference. But we really want to play forward and try to be successful.” Austria will be without defender Phillipp Mwene due to injury, but Rangnick believes his squad has enough depth to trouble one of the tournament favourites.
What’s at stake
The winner advances to a last-16 tie against Portugal or Croatia. Spain enter as heavy favourites at -325, with Austria a distant +920 underdog according to BetMGM odds. The over/under for goals is 2.5, reflecting both Spain’s defensive solidity and Austria’s habit of scoring two per game.
