Spain secured their place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals for the first time after defeating Switzerland 5-1. Following a disappointing 4-0 loss to Japan in the group stage, Spain bounced back in style with an emphatic victory over the Swiss in Auckland.
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Scoring twice, Aitana Bonmati was instrumental for Spain, and her first goal came in the fifth minute when she seized the opportunity after Alba Redondo’s shot hit the post and coolly slotted it into the net. Unfortunately for Switzerland, Laia Codina scored an own goal in the 11th minute, causing them to fall behind. However, Redondo quickly restored Spain’s lead in the 17th minute with a well-placed header.
Spain continued to dominate, and Bonmati showcased her skills once again, netting her second goal in the 36th minute with some impressive footwork inside the box. Before halftime, Codina redeemed herself by scoring from a corner, extending Spain’s lead to 4-1.
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Switzerland struggled to find their footing and only managed one shot on target in the entire match. Despite being one of the few teams that hadn’t conceded a goal in the group stages, their solid defense faltered against Spain’s attacking prowess.
Jennifer Hermoso sealed the deal for Spain in the 70th minute, securing her third goal of the tournament, and ensuring a comprehensive 5-1 victory for the Spanish team.
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Spain’s coach, Jorge Vilda, made some strategic changes to the starting lineup after the defeat against Japan, and these alterations paid off handsomely for his team. With this result, Spain face either the Netherlands or South Africa in the quarters in Wellington on Friday.
