Qatar 2022: Turbo – Charged Spain Hit Costa Rica For 7

For their first game in the World Cup, Spain delivered a show of collective and offensive dominance at the expense of Costa Rica – humiliating them 7-0 in Doha.

La Roja thus takes the lead in Group E on goal difference, despite being level on points with Japan who were surprise winners against Germany (2-1) earlier in the afternoon.

Leipzig striker Dani Olmo sent a shiver down the spine of Costa Rican fans in the 5th minute with a volley at the far post which narrowly missed the goal of Keylor Navas.

Four minutes later Marco Asensio passed the ball to Alvaro Morata who in turn missed the opener, with his low shot at the edge of the ‘D’.

Luis Enrique’s men finally took the lead logically at the 11th minute through Dani Olmo who, after an exchange with Gavi, went passed Oscar Duarte with a rotational control before side footing passed Navas from close range.

Totally masters of the game, the Spaniards doubled the mark ten minutes later through Marco Asensio, who took over a fine cross from Jordi Alba on the left side to score at the 21st minute.

It turned into a demolition half an hour into the game when Duarte made a mistake in the area fouling Alba.

Emirati referee Mohammed Abdulla whistled a penalty that Ferran Torres transformed with great composure (3-1). From then on, the rest of the game promised to be very long for the Central American team, that only scrambled through to the world cup after a 1-0 play-off against New Zealand. In the second half, the show of power continued and it turned into a humiliation for Luis Fernando Suarez’s players, with four other goals from La Roja.

Ferran Torres first got his double to add a fourth goal by taking advantage of lack of communication between Bryan Oviedo and Navas at the 54th minute.

Then Gavi, the Barça midfielder, scored with a volley after receiving a cross from Alvaro Morata (75), who came into play in place of Ferran Torres. Just like in training, the last minutes seemed like an eternity for Navas and his team. Carlos Soler (90th) and Alvaro Morata (90 + 2) made the score unprecedented and perhaps one that could end as one of he highest scoring matches in this 22nd edition of the World Cup.

Semi-finalists of the last Euro, La Roja impressed for its outing against a Costa Rica which appeared very weak.

Germany will pit Spain on Sunday at the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor, on match day 2 at the Al-Thumama stadium in Doha.