Barcelona World Cup Spotlight: Spain stars bring out the party pieces in Saudi Arabia riot
Barcelona World Cup Spotlight: Spain stars bring out the party pieces in Saudi Arabia riotThe 2026 FIFA World Cup is slowly reaching the stage where the groups are starting to take shape and some nations are seeing their journeys cut short prematurely.Last night was yet another fascinating display of football in the marquee tournament, with the tone set by Spain in their game against Saudi Arabia.Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 on the night, responding in style to silence their critics after the 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde.La Roja finished with 67% possession, 2.85 xG, 22 shots, eight on target and five big chances. It was a complete performance, and one that looked much closer to what fans expect.Belgium and Iran played out a 0-0 draw, which was mostly down to defensive brilliance and a lack of attacking cohesion from Kevin De Bruyne and company.Cape Verde showed that their 0-0 draw against Spain was not a flash in the pan, holding Uruguay to a thrilling 2-2 draw.New Zealand provided a scare very early in the game, leading 1-0 at half-time, but Egypt hit back in style to win the game 3-1 and top a group that included Belgium.From a Bara perspective, the Spanish contingent and Hamza Abdelkarim were in action last night, and let us see how they fared.Lamine Yamal vs Saudi ArabiaLamine Yamal was on the scoresheet against Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Lamine was the headline act. Restored to the starting XI, the teenager opened the scoring in the 11th minute after Mikel Oyarzabals cross.He had five shots, two on target, 0.70 xG, two accurate crosses and one key pass. For Bara fans, that is the most exciting takeaway.Lamine did not need 90 minutes to bend the game. He gave Spain width, confidence and cutting edge, then came off at half-time with the job already largely done.His minutes should ideally keep increasing with every passing game going forward.Dani Olmo vs Saudi ArabiaDani Olmos first-half performance against Saudi Arabia was outstanding.Olmo also made his mark, assisting Oyarzabals second goal in the 24th minute before being replaced after the hour.He hardly missed a beat throughout the game, gliding through Saudi players as if they did not exist and showing Spain exactly what they missed in the first game.It would be fair to say that he has nailed down the No. 10 berth for Spain for the foreseeable future.Pedri vs Saudi ArabiaPedri produced another masterclass. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)Pedri, as usual, helped Spain keep the game under control before being withdrawn in the 70th minute.He may not have had many wow moments last night, but he did not need to. The Canary Islander let the game flow at a pace he was comfortable with.Luis de la Fuente did the right thing by dropping Fabian Ruiz and playing both Pedri and Olmo in their natural roles, and the result was there for everyone to see.Pau Cubarsi vs Saudi ArabiaIt is criminal for a 19-year-old to look as flawless as Pau Cubarsi did against Saudi Arabia last night.He had a clean performance, completing 98 of his 99 passes as Saudi Arabia were limited to only three shots and just two touches in Spains penalty area.Defensively, he was positioned perfectly on the odd occasion that Saudi Arabia ventured forward and, alongside Laporte, he put on a clinic in passing range from central defence.Ferran Torres vs Saudi ArabiaHamza Abdelkarim came on late in the game against Scotland. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)Ferrans night was quieter, though not without drama. He squandered a big chance early in the second half.He replaced Oyarzabal at half-time and had a stoppage-time goal ruled out by VAR, a frustrating ending on a day when Spains attack had already done the damage.Hamza Abdelkarim vs New ZealandHamza Abdelkarim also featured for Egypt in their 3-1 comeback win over New Zealand, coming on in the 76th minute.Fans got a glimpse of his aerial prowess as he leapt well and connected with a cross that was saved by the Black Caps goalkeeper.Regardless of his impact, these are valuable minutes for the teenager on the global stage.
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