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The Spanish national team imposed complete dominance in the first half of the confrontation with the Saudi Arabian national team, leading by three clean goals in the match held in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
La Roja came on strong from the opening whistle, taking advantage of the vast technical differences between the two teams, succeeding in imposing their usual style based on possession and high pressure, while the Saudi Arabian side struggled to get on the ball or mount organized attacks that threatened Spain’s goal.
The first-half stats showed the Spaniards’ overwhelming superiority in many ways, as they enjoyed 74% of possession compared to just 26% for Saudi Arabia, as Matador’s players managed to control the midfield and deny Al-Akhdar possession for long periods.
The Spaniards’ superiority did not stop at possession as the European team hit 17 goals in the first 45 minutes, including six between the posts and the goal post, while the Saudi Arabian team failed to manage a single shot in the first half.
The expected goals data also showed the extent of the difference between the two teams, after Spain’s expected goal value reached 1.83 goals compared to just 0.01 for Saudi Arabia, reflecting Al-Akhdar’s almost complete lack of attacking threat.
The scenario brought back memories of the 2002 World Cup between South Korea and Japan, when Saudi Arabia suffered a historic 8-0 defeat by Germany in one of the heaviest defeats in World Cup history.
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Saudi fans fear a repeat of a similar scene, especially with Spain’s continued heavy pressure and away from the level the Saudi side showed against Uruguay in the first round, when they managed to earn a valuable point after a 1-1 draw.
Spain appeared to go into the game with a clear desire to send a strong message after their first-round defeat, as their players showed great attacking ferocity and speed to move the ball, while making perfect use of spaces, causing plenty of problems for Saudi Arabia’s backline.
Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, will need a different response in the second half, whether they improve their defensive spread or try to keep possession and reduce the constant pressure they were under in order to avoid conceding more goals against one of the most popular title contenders.
All eyes remain on how the remaining 45 minutes will play out as Spain look to continue their dominance and Saudi Arabia look to emerge unscathed from what has so far proved to be an extremely difficult test for the Greens at the 2026 World Cup.
