Report, score and goals as Yamal leads La Roja to crucial World Cup victory
After the embarrassing draw against Cape Verde in their first game, Spain arrived in Atlanta needing to play.
What they produced was one of the most complete displays in this world cup.
Three goals in 24 minutes ended the contest before the break
Luis de la Fuente made one change for Cape Verde, Yamal who started the game 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 hit an inviting cross into the back post. Yamal, arriving at speed, stepped in and steered home from close range.
He becomes only the second player aged 18 or under to open the scoring in a World Cup match, the first since 17-year-old Pele scored for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
Saudi Arabia had no time to process the shock before it became two. A corner came loose near the six-yard box, Dani Olmo flicked it on and Aymeric Laporte headed it into the path of Oyarzabal.
The Real Sociedad striker bundled it into the right corner, his first, and that’s when the game began to die as a contest.
After three minutes there were three left. A cross diagonal, a touch from Cucurella, a touch from Olmo with a nod, and Oyarzabal was there again, a close second that made him only the second player on record to be part of three World Cup goals in the first 25 minutes of a match, after Hungary’s Laszlo Fazekas against El Salvador in 1982.
Saudi Arabia was shocked. Their captain Salem Al-Dawsari, who had been booked to patrol a distraught Porro, could not understand what was happening.
One of the desperate defenders even tried to pull a long distance inside his half, seeing Simon come off his line.
Their goal closed four minutes into the second half
De la Fuente called during the break. Oyarzabal, who had a hat-trick, was withdrawn to protect him in the upcoming rounds, as was Yamal.
The replacements, Ferran Torres and Yeremi Pino, hardly had time to break a sweat before the fourth arrived. Alex Baena’s corner from the left went wide, Cucurella headed it in and Al Owais saved. But the ball bounced back to the unfortunate Hassan Al-Tambakti and went in.
Spain reaches the finish line
With work done on the hour mark, Spain recovered from cruise control. Rodri, who had completed 100 touches with a passing rate of 93%, was applauded when he opened the scoring for Fabian Ruiz in the 70th minute.
Pedri’s six strikes were the most by any Spanish player since Juanito against Saudi Arabia in 2006.
Saudi Arabia finally produced their first shot on target in the 81st minute, with Al-Hamdan’s 20-yarder troubling Simon.
At that time the question that remained was whether Spain would add a fifth. Torres thought he had it in stoppage time, heading home from close range after a fine move involving Pino and Ruiz, but VAR ruled it out for a very minor offence.
