Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia: Yamal 10, Oyarzabal 21, 24, Al-Tambakti 49 o.g.
It was fitting that Lamine Yamal would open the scoring for Spain here. He has become an effective mascot, a kind of spirit animal for the national team. Against Cape Verde he was consigned to the bench due to a lingering injury sustained at Barcelona, coming off for a 20-minute cameo that produced some spark but not quite enough to get the engine running for Luis de la Fuente’s team.
Here against Saudi Arabia he was fit enough to start, and just ten minutes in he bolted down the right to strike the first blow with a sliding finish, after a cross from the other flank by Mikel Oyarzabal.
Oyarzabal himself is an interesting player for Spain, arguably one of their key men, so decisive in the qualifiers, he can be a bit of an underrated player but when he gets going he makes this Spain team tick. Creating a World Cup record for fewest touches in an opening half in the last game, with only one in the opening half hour, here he landed a brace three minutes apart and Spain were 3-0 up and running before minute 30. A volley from Marc Cucurella that bounced off goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais and then in off hapless defender Hassan Al-Tambakti delivered Spain’s fourth early in the second half.
There was far more urgency and imagination in Spain’s play with Yamal in the side. The 18-year-old repeatedly tormented Saudi Arabian defenders, which had the added effect of enlivening his team. After the 18-year-old’s opener, Oyarzabal quickly doubled the advantage. Following a poorly defended corner, Aymeric Laporte headed the ball back into a crowded penalty area and the Real Sociedad forward nicked the ball off a defender to finish from close range.
Two minutes later, Pedro Porro delivered a curling cross to the far post where Marc Cucurella cushioned the ball back across goal. Dani Olmo looked to have been aiming towards goal but nodded it into the danger area and Oyarzabal fired in to make it 3-0 after only 24 minutes.
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The Spaniards remained in complete control. Pedri and Rodri orchestrated play from midfield, and Alex Baena continually found pockets of space. Saudi Arabia were unable to cope and Oyarzabal nearly completed a first-half hat-trick with an audacious effort that bounced off the crossbar.
De la Fuente had promised that Yamal may only get between 50-60 minutes on his first start since his injury recovery, but with the result secured he had the liberty to take both him and Oyarzabal off at half-time.
It made little difference with their Middle-Eastern opponents already run ragged and only four minutes into the second half, the lead increased again. Another defensive lapse from Saudi Arabia at a set piece allowed Cucurella to volley goalwards, and the ball deflected off Al-Tambakti before finding the net for an own goal.
Yeremy Pino and Ferran Torres both threatened in the closing stages. Torres thought he had tapped in a fifth in stoppage time, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out. It didn’t matter because the damage had long been done.
