The match kicks off at 10:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. Kyiv time). Spain, one of the tournament favorites, showed mixed form in the group stage: after a goalless draw against World Cup debutants Cape Verde, they beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 and edged Uruguay 1-0. With seven points, Luis de la Fuente’s side advanced comfortably as group winners.
Austria qualified with a strong campaign but struggled during the tournament. Ralf Rangnick’s team only beat underdogs Jordan, lost 2-0 to Argentina, and snatched a 3-3 draw against Algeria in stoppage time. Still, David Alaba’s side has experience and can look back on a successful run two years ago when they finished ahead of France and the Netherlands in the group stage.
Spain will be without winger Nico Williams, who is replaced by Alex Baena. The availability of Yeremy Pino and Liverpool new signing Víctor Muñoz is also uncertain. Austria, meanwhile, is expected to field its strongest lineup. The winner will face Portugal or Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Source: 24tv.ua
