Spain edge past Uruguay in fiery encounter to finish top of Group H
Uruguay’s loss propelled Cape Verde into the knockout rounds.
Spain topped Group H after beating Uruguay 1-0 in a fiery encounter in Guadalajara.
With Uruguay desperate to avoid a second-straight group-stage exit, Spain looked much more comfortable in the early stages, though neither side were able to quickly get off the mark.
That all changed in the 42nd minute, however, when Spanish midfielder Alex Baena guided the ball into the bottom corner despite the best efforts of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to keep it out.
Uruguay lost Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte to injury shortly afterwards. He was stretchered off after colliding with one of his team-mates.
Spain looked certain to extend their lead in the 62nd minute when a superb run from Lamine Yamal opened up a good opportunity for Dani Olmo on the edge of the box.
He opted to try and loft an effort over the keeper but put too much weight on it and the ball fell harmlessly onto the top of the net.
Uruguay quickly regained the momentum and threatened in the latter stages, but Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon was equal to every challenge.
Spain again looked certain to seal the win in the 85th minute when a Ferran Torres give-and-go put him one-on-one with substitute keeper Sergio Rochet, but his shot rattled the top of the crossbar and flew into the stands.
A chaotic final few minutes saw multiple yellow cards handed out as the Uruguayan players did everything they could to find an equaliser.
Midfielder Agustin Canobbio was shown a straight red at the start of added time and Spain were able to close out the result from there.
Uruguay’s loss propelled Cape Verde into the history books as the smallest nation to ever reach the World Cup knockout phase.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said he was “really happy” with his squad’s performance.
He told fifa.com: “This squad has been outstanding. Our team has been amazing. Our efforts led to us being in this situation at the top of the group.
“This is a long path. This team does not concede much and it’s a striking team. They’re unbeatable. They improve every minute. We can develop our football in different ways.”
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said: “I wasn’t able to maximise the potential of Uruguay’s players.”