While Spain have been widely tipped as one of the World Cup favourites thanks to their raft of talent and impressive Euro 2024 triumph, they needed to put to bed a remarkably poor recent record.
Since winning the 2010 final, they had failed to win a World Cup knockout match - a group-stage exit in 2014 was then followed by defeat on penalties to Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022 in the last 16.
However, there was little risk of another early exit as they patiently broke down an Austria side who played much more conservatively than in the group stage to little avail.
Lamine Yamal has not posted the goal or assist numbers that many of his world-class peers have done during this tournament, but showed his quality throughout by tormenting makeshift Austrian left-back Konrad Laimer.
The 18-year-old was denied what would have been a deserved goal late on, when David Alaba blocked his effort on the line.
But after only having 16 shots on target in their three group games - the 15th-most of any team - Spain fired in 10 here to show their threat and are clearly warming to this World Cup at just the right time.
Source: BBC News
