Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and David Raya advanced to the last 16 of the World Cup as Spain underlined their status among the tournament favourites with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32.
Having been frustrated by their opponents for much of the first half, the 2010 World Champions found the breakthrough ten minutes before half time when Mikel Oyarzabal steered Marc Cucurella's cross into the bottom corner.
La Roja got the second midway through the second half, Pedro Porro powering a header home from the centre of the penalty area, before Merino was introduced with 20 minutes to play.
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Our no.6 played a part in a sweeping counter attack, finished off by Oyarzabal to secure the largest victory margin of the knockout stages so far.
The victory ended a staggering 16-year wait not only for Spain to win a World Cup knockout match, but for a Spanish player to score in one.
Aside from an own goal in their favour in 2018's last 16 defeat to Russia, Spain's last knockout goal at a World Cup was Andreas Iniesta's winning goal in the 2010 final.
Elsewhere, Switzerland booked their place in the next round with a first knockout win at a World Cup since 1938; Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye's goals secured a 2-0 win over Algeria.
The most dramatic game of the night, and perhaps of the round so far, came in Toronto between Portugal and Croatia. After Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Perisic's goals had cancelled each other out, Goncalo Ramos put Portugal in front in the 94th-minute.
That wasn't to be the end of the drama though, as Josko Gvardiol scored what looked to be a last-gasp equaliser in the 13th-minute of added time, only for VAR to rule the goal out for a marginal offside.
Spain and Portugal now face each other in a mouth-watering last 16 tie on Monday, July 6 in Dallas, before Switzerland take on either Colombia or Ghana the following evening in Vancouver.
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