Spain are one of the hot favourites to win the whole tournament, but this won’t be easy against an Austrian side who always seems to score at least once.
The winner of this one goes on to play a mouth-watering Last 16 match against either Portugal or Croatia, so all eyes are on this one as we talk you through some team news, stats and of course, the usual betting tip.
Spain to Win with Over 3.5 Goals
One thing we do know about Australia’s style of play is that they’re not going to die wondering. They’re going to carry on playing their attacking game, and if that costs them, so be it, because that’s the right way for them to play.
This has been a high-scoring affair over the years, with Spain winning three of the last four and by scores of 3-1, 4-0 and 5-1. Remarkably, back in 1999 Spain beat them 9-0 in a match played in qualifying for the Euros in 2000.
So this looks like a match that should have goals and even more so if Austria go chasing the game. But Spain should win this, and we expect there to be at least four goals in the game in the process, at the big price of 3.5.
- Prediction: Spain to win and over 3.5 goals
- Odds: 3.5 (at the time of writing)
- Key Stat: Spain haven’t lost a match in 90 minutes in 33 games, a run that stretches back to March 20024, when they were defeated 1-0 by Colombia.
Spain
That disappointing 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde seems like a long time ago now, with Spain going on to beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, and then beating Uruguay in their final Group match to finish top of it.
This doesn’t look quite the vintage side of previous tournaments, but from a technical point of view they’re one of the best there, while their defence looks in great shape as they’re yet to concede a goal in three games.
Right here and going forward, they’re going to need a bit more from their superstar Lamine Yamal, who wasn’t quite fit at the start of the tournament but seems to be getting better, and fitter, by the game.
In attack, Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal has scored twice already, and they’ll be hoping he makes it three, at the least, in this one.
- Player to watch: Lamine Yamal - 2.2 to score / 3.5 to have 3 or more shots on target.
Austria
After a good 3-1 win over Jordan, they understandably lost to Argentina but hit back to secure a late draw against Algeria to send them through. There were conspiracy theorists predicting the two would play out a goalless draw that would send them both through, but though it did end in a draw, eventually, it was 3-3 and only thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Austria’s Sasa Kalajdzic.
That result meant they scored six goals in three games and also conceded six, so they’ve been one of the more entertaining sides at this World Cup.
Skipper David Alaba has looked a little off the pace and he’ll certainly be tested here while fellow veteran Marko Arnautovic, who has played for big clubs all over Europe and is now at Red Star Belgrade, is still a threat at 37. He scored the opening goal of the game against Algeria and should lead the line here again.
- Player to watch: Marko Arnautovic - 4.5 to score or assist / 6.5 to have 2 or more shots on target.
Did You Know?
Not a single player in the Spain squad has been capped 100 times for their country, and only four have played 50 or more times: keeper Unai Simon, midfielder Rodri and forwards Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres.
