Spain beat Austria 3-0 in their Round of 32 encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Borussia Dortmund stars Marcel Sabitzer and Carney Chukwuemeka go home.
The midfield duo became the latest BVB stars to see their World Cup campaign end after the German contingent bowed out on Monday followed by Daniel Svensson, whose Swedish team lost to France the following day.
Mikel Oyarzabal bagged a brace whereas Pedro Porro scored one too as Austria's World Cup dream ended in the last-32 following a dominant show from the Spaniards.
Having snatched a late draw against Algeria in their last group fixture, Das Team had qualified for the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth as the point on matchday three sealed a second place in Group J.
But their reward was a daunting clash against the reigning European champions, where Ralf Rangnick's side were the underdogs although after seeing Paraguay and Morocco knockout Germany and the Netherlands, they too must have felt hopeful here.
However, far from picking up a scalp, Austria were completely overrun by an inspired Spanish side who seem to have found their best as the Reds dominated possession, drove forward with purpose, and created the better chances.
For further context, Spain had 65% possession and mustered 22 shots in the game whereas Austria managed only five. They also had 10 on target while Das Team couldn't fire even one, cutting a toothless figure upfront.
Sabitzer starts, Chukwuemeka off the bench
Borussia Dortmund's playmaker Marcel Sabitzer started for Austria once again and did a good job of finding gaps in between the Spanish defense to feed the forwards. He finished with eight crosses and two key passes, highlighting his phenomenal attacking contributions.
In normal circumstances, such stats would have yielded an assist or two, but Spain's resolute defense means Austria's threats were well cleared. Carney Chukwuemeka was subbed in at the break for Nicolas Seiwald but couldn't offer much going forward.
The 22-year-old completed only 11 passes in over 45 minutes of action while also coming second-best in most of his ground duels as Spain's fast movements and high intensity was too hot for the young gun to handle.
What next for Sabitzer and Chukwuemeka?
With Austria eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Marcel Sabitzer and Carney Chukwuemeka return home for a summer break following a lengthy season with club and country. Both are expected to feature in Borussia Dortmund's pre-season campaign later in July or August.
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