Spain started their World Cup campaign with a bang and hammered Costa Rica to win the game by a huge margin of 7-0
Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, Ferran Torres, Marco Asensio, Jordi Alba, Soler Barragán and Dani Olmo were the stars for Spain. Ferran Torres in particular scored two goals including a penalty and gave Spain an advantage that was too much for Costa Rica to try and surpass.
Not long after Japan surprised Germany 2-1 in the other Group E match, Spain avoided any chance of an upset with Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres scoring a goal each in the first 31 minutes. Torres, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Álvaro Morata added to the lead in the second half.
Olmo’s goal was the 100th at World Cups for Spain, which became the sixth nation to score more than 100 times in the tournament. It was the first time Spain has scored seven goals in a World Cup match.
With 18-year-old Gavi and 19-year-old Pedri starting, Spain became the first European nation with two teenagers in the starting lineup of a World Cup match in 60 years, according to statistics platform Opta.
Gavi then became the youngest goal scorer at the World Cup since Pelé in the 1958 final, also according to Opta. Gavi and Pedri were among the many youngsters picked by Spain coach Luis Enrique in a revamped squad in Qatar — the third-youngest team among the 32 nations, after the United States and Ghana.
The young duo helped Spain control the pace of the match from the start at Al Thumama Stadium.
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Spain will next face Germany on November 28, and Costa Rica will go head to head with Japan.
(Inputs AP)
