Spain vs Saudi Arabia: Yamal and Oyarzabal make the difference

Spain did not need long to settle this one. Lamine Yamal scored in the 10th minute on his first World Cup start, Mikel Oyarzabal added two more before the break, and Saudi Arabia were already chasing the game by half-time. The 4-0 scoreline owed more to early efficiency than to any patient second-half squeeze.

Yamal’s first start and Oyarzabal’s burst

Yamal’s return from the left side was brief but sharp. He finished with an 8.2 rating, five shots and two on target, which fits the eye test of a player who kept asking the same question of Saudi Arabia’s defence. Mikel Oyarzabal went one better in impact terms, with a 9.3 rating, two goals and an assist in 45 minutes.

That is the main reason this game stopped being competitive so quickly. Oyarzabal scored twice in three minutes, turning a promising opening into a 3-0 lead before the interval. Hassan Al Tambakti's own goal four minutes into the second half pushed it to 4-0, and by then the contest had long since gone.

Spain’s response after the opening draw

Spain came in needing a cleaner finish after their goalless opener against Cabo Verde Islands. Toby Cudworth described that first game as one where 27 efforts on goal produced only seven on target and an xG of 2.10, which is exactly the kind of wastefulness that makes a match like this feel so useful for Luis de la Fuente to watch back, even if he is not listed among the match’s goalscorers.

The stronger read here is that Spain found their best attackers early and let them decide the game before Saudi Arabia could settle. Yamal’s 10th-minute strike set the tone, Oyarzabal’s brace widened the gap, and the own goal just sealed what was already decided. A four-goal win changes the mood in Group H, and Spain moved to four points after the result.

What matters next is that Spain now have a response they can point to after the opening stalemate, with Spain vs Saudi Arabia leaving the group picture much less flat than it looked after the first round.