Spain Ready for Austrian Test After Group Stage Redemption

Spain have shaken off the rust of a sluggish opening performance to top their group, and now face Austria in Thursday's knockout encounter at Los Angeles Stadium.

The Austrians, meanwhile, needed every ounce of drama to survive their group. They finished second behind Argentina but appeared destined for elimination until Marko Arnautovic's 96th-minute leveller against Algeria kept their tournament alive in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

The victor will jet off to Texas for a last-16 showdown with either Portugal or Croatia.

When and where

Kick-off comes at 8pm BST (noon local time) on Thursday, July 2 at Los Angeles Stadium. BBC1 will broadcast proceedings from 7.30pm, with BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT providing commentary.

Spanish injury concerns

Spain's attacking depth has taken a hit following their 1-0 victory over Uruguay. Nico Williams sustained a groin injury after being fouled by Nicolas de la Cruz, whilst Yeremy Pino twisted his left shoulder in the closing moments. Both are expected to sit out this fixture, though they remain with the squad for potential involvement later in the tournament.

The good news? Victor Munoz has recovered from a thigh problem and is available, though the new Liverpool recruit is likely to feature from the bench. Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena should retain their starting berths on the flanks.

Rodri continues to play through a problem requiring off-season surgery, but has not been ruled out.

Austrian fitness watch

David Alaba and Arnautovic both departed early against Algeria with knocks, but Austria's coaching staff have downplayed concerns. Ralf Rangnick expects both to be involved, though Arnautovic faces a late fitness test. If he fails to pass it, Sasa Kalajdzic—who came off the bench to score that dramatic equaliser—will press his claim for a start.

Kevin Danso, Tottenham's centre-back, is standing by as cover for Alaba. Stefan Posch, despite suffering a broken jaw in the opening match against Jordan, has continued playing with a specially-fitted protective mask.

The odds

Spain are heavy 7/20 favourites to win in 90 minutes. Austria trade at 10/1, with the draw at 9/2. In the qualification market, La Roja are 1/7 to progress, whilst Austria sit at 11/2. Overall World Cup odds favour Spain at 7/1, with Austria out at 500/1.

What to expect

Spain's recent pedigree in World Cup knockouts makes grim reading: they haven't won a knockout game since Andres Iniesta's 2010 final winner against the Netherlands. Group-stage exits in 2014, penalty defeats to Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022—the pattern is troubling.

Yet this iteration is different. Euro 2024 champions with 34 consecutive matches unbeaten—one short of their national record—Spain have looked the part when it matters. A surprise 0-0 draw with Cape Verde opened their eyes, but they've since found their rhythm and haven't conceded a goal at this tournament.

Austria, by contrast, have been wildly inconsistent. Three goals apiece against Jordan and Algeria mask a toothless performance against Argentina, where they managed just one shot on target and 0.53 expected goals. Against a Spanish side of this calibre, and without conceding at this stage, that's a troubling foundation to build from.

A Spain win to nil at 1/1 holds appeal, with a 2-0 scoreline available at 11/2.

Yamal, carefully managed through the group stage as he recovered from a hamstring issue, should be fully fit for his first World Cup knockout. The 18-year-old winger is priced at 11/8 to score anytime.