Spain eye first World Cup win as Saudi Arabia aim to spring another surprise

Spain will be desperate to secure their first victory of the Fifa World Cup when they take on Saudi Arabia in a crucial Group H clash, with both teams looking to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage.

The match kicks off at 10pm (BST) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta tonight (21 June).

La Roja were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by tournament debutants Cabo Verde in their opening match despite dominating possession and creating the better chances.

The result left Luis de la Fuente's side under pressure to deliver against a disciplined Saudi Arabia that also started its campaign with a draw.

The 18-year-old star boy Lamine Yamal was named on the bench and came on only in the 71st minute. With Spain needing a World Cup reset, many thought Yamal would be back in the starting lineup, but he said that will not be the case just yet.

"I'm fine, I'm feeling good, but it's too soon, it's unnecessary; I'm still settling in – it's not the right time to play a full match yet – but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants," Yamal told Spanish public television TVE on Friday.

"I want to be on the pitch; at the end of the day, even if you know ⁠you can't play for 90 minutes, you always want to get ⁠out there and help the team."

Nico Williams is also battling his way back to fitness after injury, though he played few minutes against Cabo Verde.

The team, also facing a number of fitness concerns, as Victor Munoz is ruled out due to injury, while Mikel Merino is also a doubt as he continues to recover from a knock, reports Yahoo Sports.

Infograph: TBS

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia earned an impressive 1-1 result against Uruguay after producing a resilient defensive display and are expected to adopt a similar approach against one of the tournament favourites.

Coach Georgios Donis believes Spain would lose much of their attacking edge if teenage star Lamine Yamal and winger Nico Williams are unavailable after both picked up fitness concerns in the opening game.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, are expected to field a full-strength side and will once again rely on goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais and midfielder Mohamed Kanno to frustrate their opponents before launching quick counter-attacks.

The match carries significant importance for both teams after they collected one point each from their opening fixtures.

A victory would put either side in a strong position to qualify for the Round of 32 ahead of the final Group H matches.

History strongly favours the European giants, who have won all three previous meetings between the two nations, including a 1-0 victory at the 2006 World Cup and a 5-0 win in their last encounter in an international friendly in 2012.

Spain possible starting XI: Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Ferran, Olmo, Gavi.

Saudi Arabia possible starting XI: Al Owais; Abdulhamid, Al Amri, Al Tambakti, Al-Harbi; Al Shamat, Kanno, Akhaibari, Al-Dawsari; Al-Buraikan, Al-Juwayr.