Lamine Yamal inspired Spain to a dominant 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in their Group H clash on Sunday, helping the former champions secure a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup after a disappointing goalless draw against Cape Verde in their opener.
The 18-year-old winger, restored to the starting lineup, provided the spark Spain had lacked in their first match. Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute, sliding home after connecting with a Dani Olmo delivery. Spain doubled their lead in the 30th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box following Aymeric Laporte’s header from a corner.
Spain effectively put the game beyond Saudi Arabia three minutes later with a flowing team move. Marc Cucurella delivered a cross across the six-yard box and Olmo’s header found Oyarzabal, who volleyed home to make it 3-0 before halftime.
Luis de la Fuente’s side added a fourth shortly after the break when a save from the Saudi goalkeeper ricocheted off defender Hassan Altambakti and into the net. With the result secured, Spain eased through the remainder of the contest and comfortably saw out the victory.
The win moved Spain to four points from two matches and guaranteed their progress to the next round, while Saudi Arabia remained on one point. Uruguay and Cape Verde were scheduled to meet later on Sunday in the other Group H fixture.
