Spain
AustriaSpain's flank play was the decisive structural element throughout — Cucurella at left wing-back and Porro on the right contributed directly to the first two goals, and the width they provided repeatedly pulled Austria into positions their press was never designed to manage. Rangnick pressed high, Spain played through it or played in behind, and once Oyarzabal's composure settled the match the tactical contest was effectively over. Austria's zero shots on target understates their powerlessness: the match ceased to be a genuine contest around the 66th minute, and Oyarzabal's late third was the final confirmation that no dramatic late narrative was available to anyone.
Spain
Spain were suffocating, sustained, and clinical in equal measure — Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a composed side-foot from Cucurella's cross in the 36th minute, Porro headed home his first international goal from Baena's delivery in the 66th, and Oyarzabal added a beautiful second in the 89th minute to put any lingering doubt to rest. Twenty-three shots, ten on target, zero conceded across ninety minutes: four clean sheets at this World Cup now, thirty-four competitive games unbeaten, and a performance that Luis de La Fuente called almost perfect and which the numbers supported entirely.
Austria
Austria managed zero shots on target across ninety minutes and their vaunted high press, which had energised their group stage, was absorbed and dismantled by Spain's technical quality in tight spaces. Rangnick's system requires early pressure and quick turnovers to function; Spain's ability to retain possession under that press and punish the exposed space in behind made the match a relentless exercise in damage limitation from the first goal onwards. Four points from the group stage — including that extraordinary stoppage-time equaliser against Algeria — was a commendable achievement; what happened at SoFi Stadium against Spain was a different order of problem entirely.