People love pointing fingers after a boring scoreless draw. When Spain stumbled against Cape Verde in their World Cup opening match, the knives came out fast. The loudest complaints focused on Mikel Oyarzabal. Critics claimed the Real Sociedad forward lacked the clinical edge required for the big stage, calling his performance underwhelming.
Football changes in seconds.
Luis de la Fuente didn't panic. He kept his trust in Oyarzabal for the Group H clash against Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium, and that patience paid off massively. Spain didn't just win; they completely dismantled the Saudi side in a 4-0 blowout. The real story wasn't just the score, but how Oyarzabal completely flipped the narrative around his position in the squad.
The Three Minute Blitz that Changed Everything
Spain started with an intense high press that left the Saudi defense chasing shadows. The breakthrough arrived early in the 10th minute. Álex Baena floated a dangerous ball over the top, and Oyarzabal tracked it perfectly. Instead of taking a greedy shot from a tight angle, he showed elite vision, drilling a precise cross to the back post where Lamine Yamal slid it home.
Then came the moments that silenced the doubters.
In the 21st minute, Oyarzabal showed pure striker instincts during a chaotic corner kick, reacting fastest to poke the ball home. Saudi Arabia barely had time to reset their lines before Spain struck again. Just three minutes later, a slick passing sequence involving Pedro Porro, Marc Cucurella, and Dani Olmo carved open the defense. Oyarzabal was there to finish the job, making it 3-0 before the fans in Atlanta could even finish celebrating his first.
He was inches away from a first-half hat-trick, too. A brilliant outside-of-the-foot curler rattled right off the crossbar. By the time the halftime whistle blew, the match was dead and buried. De la Fuente was so confident that he subbed both Oyarzabal and Yamal off at the break to rest them for the bigger battles ahead.
Tactical Masterclass by Luis de la Fuente
The manager made four changes to his starting lineup following the Cape Verde disappointment, and every single one worked perfectly. Dani Olmo provided creative spark in attacking midfield, allowing Yamal and Oyarzabal to exploit spaces fluidly.
The stats show a completely one-sided affair. Spain commanded 68% of the ball and put together 693 correct pases compared to just 250 from Saudi Arabia. Even when Spain took their foot off the gas in the second half, the dominance remained absolute. An own goal by Hassan Altambakti in the 49th minute pushed the score to 4-0. Saudi Arabia fought with pride, but they simply couldn't handle the technical gulf.
Spain unleashed 22 shots throughout the match. The defense stayed perfectly organized, limiting Saudi Arabia to just three speculative efforts all afternoon.
Moving Toward the Real Test
This blowout means Spain climbs to the top of Group H, essentially locking down their path forward. It restores the swagger you expect from the European champions.
The immediate task shifts to recovery and tactical refinement. Spain faces Uruguay next on June 26 at the Guadalajara stadium. That match will demand the exact same intensity we saw in the first half against the Saudis. If Oyarzabal maintains this level of movement and unselfish link-up play, Spain looks incredibly dangerous. Don't write off a veteran forward after one bad afternoon.
