Spain produced its best performance of the World Cup so far and cruised into the round of 16 by beating a disappointing Austria 3–0 on Thursday. Ralf Rangnick, whose empowerment of the national team when he took over proved key in its rejuvenation, relentlessly made note of Austria’s inferiority before the game, and the Central Europeans performed in the absence of the identity that helped facilitate its drastic improvement. Spain simply had its way at SoFi Stadium, with Mikel Oyarzabal’s opening goal arriving after Marc Cucurella harshly had an effort ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. Seeking to eke something out of his players against an opponent who may well have found its imperious groove, Rangnick made a pair of double changes at the start of the second half. There was a brief upsurge, but Spain’s passing and the ease with which they combined rendered its efforts out of possession futile. Pedro Porro headed home a second from a perfect Álex Baena cross, and the European champions’ showcase was complete when Oyarzabal tapped home his second from another Cucurella delivery. Portugal or Croatia await in the round of 16 in Dallas.One Thing We Can’t IgnoreMikel Oyarzabal (left) is in tremendous scoring form for the national team. | Kohjiro Kinno/Sports IllusttratedMany of the tools from Euro 2024 remain, but Spain is a slightly different proposition at this World Cup. The inclusion of the technically brilliant Baena in place of the injured Nico Williams means La Roja just aren’t as swift as they were two years ago, with Baena preferring to drift infield and combine between the lines. You could argue that Williams’s absence down the left makes them less dangerous, but there’s no denying the upgrade they’ve made at the center-forward position. The unassuming Oyarzabal served as Álvaro Morata’s back-up in Germany and was Spain’s match-winner off the bench against England. Oyarzabal is now the leading man, and after he was chastised for his anonymous outing against Cabo Verde, his stellar recent scoring record for his country has come to the fore. A brace against Saudi Arabia got him up and running, and the Real Sociedad stalwart opened the scoring at SoFi Stadium with a coolly-taken first-time finish. It’s the sort of chance Morata would’ve snatched at, but one Oyarzabal effortlessly dispatched. He’s a real sharpshooter in and around the box, and his late second means he’s now scored 17 goals in his last 16 starts.There’s a subtle inevitability developing around Spain’s starting striker, and in a superstar-studded Golden Boot race, Oyarzabal is the stealthy assassin operating out of the limelight. Spain Player Ratings vs. Austria (4-2-3-1)Lamine Yamal was out to put on a show. | Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated*Ratings Provided by FotMob*GK: Unai Simón—7.3: Simón’s proactivity and positioning when dealing with the very few crosses that came his way should be commended. He’s yet to concede at the tournament.RB: Pedro Porro—8.9: Some time for the Spurs fullback to get his first international goal. Porro popped up in the box to double Spain’s advantage, making no mistake with a simple headed finish.CB: Pau Cubarsí—8.0: Started the game brilliantly and did a good job of ensuring Austria’s forwards weren’t able to dominate in the air.CB: Aymeric Laporte—8.0: There were no issues for Laporte here. He was a figure of serenity throughout.LB: Marc Cucurella—8.5: Curiously had a goal ruled out in the first half, but didn’t let that affect his performance. Cucurella wasn’t tested defensively, and he was useful as an outlet high and wide down the left.DM: Rodri—8.2: Sturdy enough from Rodri, who’s so far looked sluggish at the tournament. Austria, revered for its work out of possession, wasn’t able to shackle the Manchester City star.DM: Pedri—7.5: The game once again came easily to Pedri, who combined efficiently to escape Austria’s suddenly beleaguered press. Hassled and harried once possession was lost.Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDAM: Dani Olmo—7.5: Such a crafty operator in and around the box, and he was so close to producing something special on a couple of occasions. RW: Lamine Yamal—7.8: Rangnick made it clear that Yamal was the man Austria needed to slow down to have any hope of making it through. His team didn’t exactly tame the masterful winger, with Konrad Laimer particularly suffering one-on-one. Spain’s alternate threats came to the fore in front of goal.ST: Mikel Oyarzabal—9.1: Oyarzabal was at it again for the national team. After having an effort from the edge of the box superbly saved, Spain’s center-forward was on hand to convert an inviting Cucurella cross with one touch. That set La Roja on their way, and he finished the job in the closing stages.LW: Alex Baena—8.2: Austria perhaps paid too much attention to Yamal. Baena offers a completely different threat from the left, with his divine technique only aiding Spain’s slick central combinations. His left-footed cross for Porro’s header was pinpoint.SUB: Ferran Torres (71’ for Baena)—6.0: The substitute looked slightly too keen to impress, snatching at shots when they arrived.SUB: Mikel Merino (71’ for Olmo)—6.1: The Arsenal midfielder wasn’t hugely involved, with Austria fading considerably late on despite not exactly exerting themselves to the level we’ve previously seen.SUB: Gavi (85’ for Yamal)—N/A SUB: Fabián Ruiz (90’ for Pedri)—N/A SUB: Marc Pubill (90’ for Laporte)—N/ASubs not used: David Raya (GK), Joan García (GK), Eric García, Marcos Llorente, Alex Grimaldo, Martín Zubimendi, Borja Iglesias, Víctor Muñoz, Yéremy Pino.What the Ratings Tell UsBaena and Porro combined for Spain’s second goal. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty ImagesSo many Spanish supporters had washed their hands with Pedro Porro after a woeful 45-minute display in a 2–0 defeat to Scotland in March 2023. Plenty were skeptical about his World Cup inclusion, especially after a difficult season with Spurs, but Porro has garnered the faith of Luis de la Fuente for good reason. This was an imperfect performance with the ball, yet the right back popped at a brilliant time to double Spain’s advantage. Also offering security in defensive transition, Marcos Llorente may have to settle for second fiddle.Álex Baena once teased a departure away from Europe in favor of Gulf riches, but he remains among the elite with Atlético Madrid, and he’s a player to keep an eye on after this World Cup. He’s comfortable wide despite a lack of speed, with outstanding technique, guile and intelligence ensuring Spain’s No. 15 excels in a role you might perhaps expect him to struggle in, given his profile. Lamine Yamal is the star everyone wants to enjoy, but it’s worth appreciating Baena, too.The Numbers That Explain Spain’s Comfortable ProgressionSpain had no trouble getting past Austria. | Kohjiro Kinno/Sports IllustratedSpain asserted total control in the first half and was particularly secure defensively against a tepid Austria attack, which was limited to two shots and 0.09 xG.Luis de la Fuente’s side managed the ball brilliantly throughout to keep Austria at bay. They ended the tie with 64% possession, having completed 91% of their passes. Spain completed almost 300 more passes than its opponents.Austria didn’t notch a single shot on target.StatisticSpainAustriaPossession64%36%xG2.840.32Total Shots235Shots on Target100Big Chances41Pass Accuracy91%82%Fouls815Corners90READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow