Spain have little room for error when they face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta this afternoon.
The shock goalless draw with Cape Verde in their Group H opener has put Luis de la Fuente’s side on the back foot and they need a win here to kick-start their tournament hopes.
Saudi Arabia are in a similar situation having drawn their opening game against Uruguay despite a second-half onslaught from Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Saudi will likely have to prepare for facing Lamine Yamal for a greater amount of time than the 19 minutes he played against Cape Verde.
Yamal is still working his way back to full fitness following a hamstring injury suffered while scoring a penalty for Barcelona in April.
The teenager is still not ready to play a full 90 minutes, though he is prepared to accept whatever role De la Fuente allocates him.
“It’s very early, it’s unnecessary,” Yamal told RTVE. “It’s not the time to play a whole match, but I can play whatever minutes the coach wants.
“Obviously on Sunday we have to win because we are among the favourites and we have to win.
“We will go to achieve that victory, and of course, we will bring out our playing style and show who we are.
“Together we will overcome everything. I’m also sure that we will all be together on July 19.”
Where to watch Spain v Saudi Arabia: TV and online streams
Spain v Saudi Arabia kicks off at 5:00pm UK time on Sunday. It will be broadcast on BBC One and will also be available to watch on the iPlayer and via the BBC Sport website.
Stats for Spain v Saudi Arabia
- Spain and Saudi Arabia have met three times before, with La Roja winning on each occasion.
- The only World Cup meeting between the two nations came in 2006, when Juanito scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory for Spain.
- Spain have scored just twice in their last four World Cup matches since a 7-0 win over Costa Rica in the opening game of the 2022 tournament.
- Three of Saudi Arabia’s last four World Cup games have seen both teams score.
- Saudi Arabia have lost all but one of their 11 World Cup matches against UEFA opponents. The lone exception being a 1-0 victory over Belgium on their debut appearance in 1994.
- Spain have won two of their five World Cup matches against AFC opponents (D2, L1). Their only defeat across 90 minutes came at the 2022 World Cup against Japan. They were eliminated by South Korea on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals in 2002.
