Spain answered their critics in the most emphatic fashion possible. Four days after a baffling goalless draw against Cape Verde had left the reigning European champions red-faced, Luis de la Fuente 's side turned up in Atlanta and absolutely dismantled Saudi Arabia by a score of 4-0, with the first three goals arriving inside 24 stunning first-half minutes.
The biggest talking point before kick-off was whether teenage superstar Lamine Yamal would start despite a slight fitness concern. He did and he made his mark almost immediately. In the 10th minute, Oyarzabal surged down the left and cut a low, precise ball into the box. Yamal timed his run to perfection, sliding in at the back post to steer home his first ever World Cup goal. The goal made the Barcelona winger only the second teenager after Gavi in 2022 to score for Spain at a World Cup.
Saudi Arabia barely had time to recover. Spain struck twice more in three minutes to effectively end the contest before the half-hour mark. Oyarzabal turned provider into finisher, netting in the 21st minute with a composed finish before adding a second just three minutes later to complete a rapid, ruthless brace. Oyarzabal came agonisingly close to a first-half hat-trick, striking the crossbar in the 38th minute as Spain went into the break with a 3-0 lead and 15 shots to Saudi Arabia's one.
De la Fuente withdrew both Yamal and Oyarzabal at half-time to protect them, but Spain's dominance never wavered. Just four minutes after the restart, Alex Baena's corner found Marc Cucurella, whose shot was blocked by goalkeeper Al-Owais before defender Hassan Altambakti diverted the rebound into his own net to make it four. A late Ferran Torres goal was ruled out by VAR for offside, denying Spain a fifth but doing nothing to diminish what was a truly commanding performance.
Spain thoroughly outclassed the Green Falcons, finishing with an xG of 2.85 compared to Saudi Arabia's 0.04, a statistic that tells you everything about the gulf between the two sides on the day. By the 83rd minute, Spain held a 21-3 advantage in shots and an 8-1 edge in efforts on target.
Spain now sit top of Group H with four points. Saudi Arabia, despite the defeat, remain alive heading into their final game against Cape Verde.
Spain next face Uruguay on June 25 in the high-voltage clash while Saudi Arabia take on Cape Verde on the same day.
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