Spain seek first World Cup win against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta

Spain face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday needing a response after a scoreless opener against Cape Verde left Group H bunched after one match. Al Jazeera reported that all four teams in the group have one point, making the second round of fixtures central to the race for the World Cup knockouts.

The Group H match is scheduled for noon local time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is 16:00 GMT, according to Al Jazeera. Spain entered the tournament among the leading contenders but drew 0-0 with World Cup debutants Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia took a point from a 1-1 draw with Uruguay.

Yamal expected to remain limited

Spain’s attack is under scrutiny after Al Jazeera reported that the 2010 world champions failed to score despite taking 27 shots against Cape Verde. Lamine Yamal, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, started that match on the bench and came on in the 71st minute.

Yamal told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Friday that he feels well but does not expect to play a full match yet. He said it was too early and unnecessary to start playing 90 minutes, while adding that he can feature for as long as the manager wants.

Al Jazeera described Spain’s current squad, including Yamal, Pedri and Ferran Torres, as part of a new generation aiming to deliver the country’s second World Cup title. Spain have gone out in the round of 16 at the past two World Cups, according to Al Jazeera.

Saudi Arabia arrive with momentum

Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis, who took charge two months before the tournament, said the draw with Uruguay was a “booster for our psychology,” according to Al Jazeera. The result kept Saudi Arabia level with the rest of Group H after the first matches.

Al Jazeera noted that Spain are unlikely to dismiss Saudi Arabia’s chances, citing the team’s win over eventual champion Argentina in the opening round of the 2022 World Cup. Saudi Arabia are making their seventh World Cup appearance, with their best finish coming in 1994, when they reached the round of 16.

Group H standings and knockout path

Al Jazeera reported that Uruguay lead Group H on team conduct score, followed by Saudi Arabia, Spain and Cape Verde. The top two teams in each of the 12 groups advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams, to the new round of 32.

Opta’s supercomputer gives Spain an 86.7% chance of beating Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Arabia at 4.3% and the draw at 9%, according to Al Jazeera. Opta now lists Spain fourth in its tournament projection at 12.04%, with France first at 15.43%.

Form, history and how to watch

Al Jazeera listed Spain’s past five results as D-W-D-D-W, including the Cape Verde draw, a 3-1 win over Peru and a 1-1 draw with Iraq in June friendlies. Saudi Arabia’s form is D-D-W-L-L, including the Uruguay draw, a 0-0 friendly draw with Senegal and a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico.

Spain have won all three previous meetings with Saudi Arabia, according to Al Jazeera. Their only prior World Cup match was a 1-0 Spain win in 2006, and their most recent meeting was a 5-0 Spain victory in September 2012.

• Spain: LA1, PLAY and DAZN Mundial at 6pm Central European Summer Time, according to Al Jazeera.
• Saudi Arabia: beIN SPORTS MAX 5, beIN SPORTS 4K HDR, beIN SPORTS MAX 1, TOD, beIN SPORTS MAX 3 and beIN CONNECT at 7pm Arabia Standard Time, according to Al Jazeera.
• United Kingdom: BBC One, BBC iPlayer and ITVX at 5pm British Summer Time, according to Al Jazeera.
• United States: Universo, FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network and Peacock at noon Eastern Daylight Time, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera’s predicted Spain lineup is Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Ferran, Olmo, Gavi. Its predicted Saudi Arabia lineup is Al Owais; Abdulhamid, Al Amri, Al Tambakti, Al-Harbi; Al Shamat, Kanno, Akhaibari, Al-Dawsari; Al-Buraikan, Al-Juwayr.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.