Spain's Head Coach De la Fuente Warns of Austria and Demands Precision in the Penalty Area

Rodri and Pedri Under Special Scrutiny

"I see how they are constantly improving. It is a long tournament with a lot of travel, but they are now in very good shape," said the coach about the two professionals, whom he had already coached in Spanish youth national teams. De la Fuente has been head coach of the senior national team since the end of 2022, after previously coaching Spain's U21 side. During his tenure, he led the "Rojiblanca" to the European Championship title, among other achievements.

Tactically, De la Fuente announced his intention to remain true to the team's possession-based style. "When we are in their penalty area, we need precision. We create situations, we must also convert them," he said with regard to attacking efficiency. At the same time, he pointed to the team's consistency: the Spaniards have not lost 33 consecutive matches in regular time, in addition to 34 competitive matches without defeat, excluding penalty shootouts.

Spain is also prepared for the possibility of a penalty shootout. "They have prepared for all possible scenarios, De la Fuente assured – including a potential penalty shootout. "Taking a penalty is not something random, we have specialists for that." One particular statistic could prove challenging for the Spaniards: the Austrian men's team has never been involved in a penalty shootout in a competitive match in its history.

Lamine Yamal Ready to Play

On the subject of Lamine Yamal, De la Fuente reacted calmly. The 18-year-old attacking player from FC Barcelona, who had been troubled by a thigh injury before the start of the tournament, is ready to play. "Lamine can play as long as we want him to. We have been patient with everyone's recovery time." The coach also commented on personal ambitions: "This national team is used to breaking records. Maybe we can manage to overcome this streak as well."

The context for this statement is a remarkable negative record: the Spaniards have not won a knockout match at a World Cup since the 2010 final. In 2018 and 2022, they were eliminated in the round of 16 via penalty shootouts against Russia and Morocco respectively, and in 2014 they were already eliminated in the group stage. That is supposed to change – the declared goal is the final on July 19 outside the gates of New York.

Rangnick Sees "Next Final"

On the other side, Austria is preparing for the biggest challenge of the tournament. ÖFB head coach Ralf Rangnick spoke on Wednesday of a "next final" and clearly formulated the game plan: "We have not yet reached our performance maximum. In that match, we really can only win." With regard to Spain's style of play, he added: "When you consider that we are facing Spain, a team that is probably technically the best team in the world in possession, we definitely have to step up."

Rangnick sees room for improvement in his team's defensive behavior. "It is logical that we have room for improvement in the defensive behavior of the entire team," said the 68-year-old. Against the reigning European champions and second-ranked team in the world, who completed a 4.5-hour flight from their team camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Los Angeles two days before the round of 16, it is essential to deliver a significantly improved performance.

Austria's Record at This World Cup

Austria's record at the World Cup has been mixed. After the 3:1 opening victory against World Cup debutants Jordan, a 0:2 followed against Argentina, before the concluding 3:3 against Algeria secured qualification for the round of 16 in stoppage time. Overall, the Austrians have scored six goals and conceded six in their three group matches. Their last knockout match at a World Cup was in 1954 – the third-place match against Uruguay, which Austria won 3:1. At the most recent European Championships, they were eliminated in the round of 16 each time: in 2021, they lost 1:2 to Italy after extra time, and in 2024, 1:2 to Türkiye.

In terms of personnel, Rangnick could field a starting eleven similar to the one that faced Argentina. Michael Gregoritsch could start as center forward in place of Marko Arnautovic. In addition, Konrad Laimer of Bayern Munich is considered an option for the left-back position in order to mark Lamine Yamal. "He is one of the upcoming top stars, actually he already is one," said Rangnick about the Spanish youngster. An alternative in central midfield would be Florian Grillitsch, which would, however, mean a bench role for Xaver Schlager.

ÖFB sporting director Peter Schöttel also assessed the opponent: "They define themselves very much through play with the ball" and are "not as strong in duels as Argentina." Nevertheless, Austria will go into the match as the clear underdog, all participants emphasized unanimously. "They have developed this further. They play increasingly intensely," De la Fuente had previously praised the Austrians' strength.

Spain's Goalkeeper Simon with a Clean Sheet

Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon brings a special streak to the occasion: at this World Cup, he has not conceded a goal for 429 minutes. His last World Cup goal conceded dates back to 2022, when Spain lost 1:2 to Japan in the group stage. This fact also fuels confidence on the Spanish side that they can end the negative streak in World Cup knockout matches.

The geographic logistics ahead of the match are unusual: Austria traveled by bus from nearby Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on Wednesday. Spain, on the other hand, had to complete a long-haul flight from their team camp in Chattanooga. In the event of a victory, Spain would face the winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia – which takes place in the night to Friday (1 AM CEST) in Toronto – in the quarterfinals on Monday (July 6, 9 PM CEST) in Dallas. For Austria, a further advancement would mean a first return to Los Angeles in this tournament, so the winner of the round of 16 would have to travel again.

Geography, Logistics and Outlook

De la Fuente classified the entire tournament as open. "France has played a good World Cup so far and is one of the top favorites. But we are too, and there are a few others in that category," said the Spaniard with a view to the other title contenders. He did not want to rate the draw as an advantage – the path to the final is tough for any opponent.

For Austria, the main takeaway from the final group match is that only a top performance will suffice against Spain's technical class. Rangnick summed it up: "We have to step up." The starting position is clear – underdog Austria faces favorite Spain, who at the same time are trying to end a decades-old knockout ordeal at World Cups.