Spain vs Austria: World Cup Round of 32 – Preview, predictions, team news

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Who: Spain vs Austria

After arriving at the World Cup as one of the favourites, Spain have made a relatively low-key start to the tournament.

A shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde was followed by a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia before an attritional victory over Uruguay.

But Spain coach Luis de la Fuente maintains his team are on an upward curve and are exactly where they want to be, as they reach the business end of the tournament.

“This squad is used to breaking records and overcoming rough patches; we are determined to keep moving forward,” de la Fuente said on Wednesday.

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria are making their first World Cup knockout appearance since 1954 after finishing runners-up in Group J.

Austria scored six goals ⁠in three group-stage matches, one more than Spain, but Rangnick acknowledges his side will need to raise their level against a team unbeaten in 34 matches stretching back to March 2023.

“We all know ⁠that we need to do even better tomorrow. Against Spain this is obvious,” Rangnick said. “We have to make one ⁠further step.”

The victor will face either Portugal or Croatia in the last 16.

La Roja ready to raise the bar against Austria

De la Fuente told reporters to expect to see improvements in his team’s performance after their sluggish World Cup start.

“What I am seeing this week ‌is that the team is beginning to recognise” things to fix, the coach said.

De la Fuente dismissed ⁠concerns about the enormous expectations weighing on his squad from Spanish supporters, despite the team’s early World ⁠Cup exits following their 2010 triumph.

“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,” de la Fuente said.

Rangnick says stopping Lamine Yamal key

Rangnick said football fans around the world love ⁠watching Lamine Yamal ⁠play, but stopping the Spain winger from showcasing his talent will be one of his side’s top priorities in the World Cup round ⁠of 32 on Thursday.

Spain have eased the 18-year-old back into action after he tore a hamstring in April, limiting him to 141 minutes over the ⁠three group games, during which he scored once – but now say he is ready to play as much as required.

“Lamine Yamal is an excellent player, and he will be for the next 12, 13 or 14 years, maybe even longer,” Rangnick told reporters on Wednesday.

“If he stays healthy and keeps a straight head on ‌his shoulders, he can play a lot of matches.

“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.”

How did Spain and Austria reach the round of 32?

Spain were the winners of Group H with seven points. Here’s a list of their results:

Austria were runners-up of Group J with four points. Here’s a list of their results:

Spain vs Austria prediction

Opta’s supercomputer has calculated a 70.6 percent probability of Spain winning this fixture in regulation time, while Austria is assessed a 12.2 percent chance of victory.

The probability of going to extra time is 17.3 percent.

Spain vs Austria: Kickoff time, TV channel

To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.

Who will the winner face in the round of 16?

The winner of the Spain vs Austria match will face either Portugal or Croatia in the last 16.

Spain vs Austria: head-to-head

Spain are unbeaten in their last five matches against Austria (W4 D1), winning each of the last two by four-goal margins.

Their most recent meeting dates back to 2009, when Spain thrashed Austria 5-1, with a young David Alaba making a strong impression in a 25-minute cameo off the bench.

Spain, however, will be wary of their Austrian opponents, having lost their last World Cup meeting 2-1 in 1978.

Spain vs Austria: Team news

Yeremi Pino (collarbone) and Nico Williams (hamstring) are out injured for Spain, while Victor Munoz (muscle) is doubtful.

No injuries or suspensions in the Austria camp.

Spain’s predicted lineup

(4-3-3): Simon (goalkeeper); Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena

Austria’s predicted lineup

(4-2-3-1): Schlager (goalkeeper); Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene; Seiwald, Schlager; Laimer, Sabitzer, Schmid; Arnautovic