Spain
Spain came into the World Cup as the pre tournament favourites but they’ve drifted after the group stages and now sit behind France and Argentina.
La Roja have perhaps underwhelmed in attack, but they look rock solid at the back and they look well placed to avoid a slip-up against Austria in the last 32.
Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by minnows Cape Verde in their tournament opener in a game where they managed 27 shots, had 74% possession and posted an xG of 2.1. Since then, they have brushed aside Saudi Arabia 4-0 and knocked Uruguay out with a 1-0 win.
Injuries & Team News
Spain’s rearguard resilience has come to the fore at an ideal time, as De la Fuente has been hamstrung by attacking injuries to Yeremy Pino (shoulder), Nico Williams (adductor) and Victor Munoz (thigh), all of whom are at risk of missing the last-32 match.
Liverpool-bound Munoz seemingly has the best chance of being available, but Baena should not cede his spot on the left-hand side after coming up with the decisive moment against Uruguay – his first goal for the national team since October 2024.
De la Fuente’s only selection dilemma comes in the middle of the park, where Mikel Merino was given the nod against Uruguay, but Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Gavi are all competing to displace the Arsenal man.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 1-0 Uruguay | D D W D WW |
Predicted Line-Up
Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Merino, Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena
Austria
Austria’s only World Cup win has come against Jordan and they need a last gasp leveller to avoid defeat against Algeria in their last game. Their hardest test so far has been a clash with defending champions Argentina, where they lost 2-0 and recorded just one shot on target.
Austria were unable to offer much in attack against Argentina and defensively Luis de la Fuente’s side are perhaps stronger than the defending champions, so a Spain win to nil looks the best angle for our main bet.
Injuries & Team News
On the Austrian end, veterans Marko Arnautovic and David Alaba were a little worse for wear following the six-goal thriller with Algeria, but neither man is thought to be suffering from anything more serious than minor knee discomfort.
Rangnick otherwise has no concerns whatsoever for Thursday night, when Kevin Danso and Michael Gregoritsch will be on standby to replace Alaba and Arnautovic if need be; Kalajdzic’s heroics are unlikely to put him in the frame for a start.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 3-3 vs Algeria | W W W W L D |
Predicted Line-Up
Austria possible starting lineup:
A. Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene; Siewald, X. Schlager; Laimer, Schmid, Sabitzer; Arnautovic
Betting Odds
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Spain Win | 3/10 – (1.30) | Grand Ivy |
| Draw | 7/2 – (4.50) | Dream Vegas |
| Austria Win | 10/1 – (11.00) | 247Bet |
Prediction
Spain 2-1 Austria
This is an intruiging match as Spain have hit a run of form after the 0-0 draw with Cape Verde but Austria have a habit of making it tough for the bigger European nations in recent years. Ultimately Spain will have just a bit too much and scrape through by the odds goal.